What is Causing My Premature Gray Hair?

More and more people are noticing early graying and loss of hair and it is definitely linked to the stressful lifestyles we are living.   Early graying can have a major impact on how you feel about your appearance.  Do you feel like you’re on the fast track to accelerated aging?  Let’s look at why your hair is turning gray.

But first, what is considered early graying?

In general, premature gray hair appears before age 20 years in Caucasian people, before 25 in Asians, and before 30 years in African Amercians.  These aren’t hard and fast numbers, though.  It’s really common to have noticeable graying occuring in the 30s and 40s and full graying starting around 50 years.  But, just because it is common does not mean it is normal!

Here’s how to know if you have premature gray hair:

Ask yourself! Do I feel like I have prematurely gray hair?  It’s important to think about the stress you are under in your life.  Are these hairs turning gray because you are burning the candle at both ends?  Materials turn gray and white after burning.  Are you literally burnt out?  Or does this feel more like a natural part of your own graceful aging process?  Is your body naturally embracing the signs that come with advanced years?  Can you imagine not having gray hair until you’re well into your 70’s?  I’m inviting you to stop accepting early signs of aging as “that’s just how it is”  or, “my mom had gray hair at this age”.  Instead, lean into the communication and support your body in the ways that it is asking for.

Premature gray hair is one of the most important and revealing things about what is really going on inside our toxic bodies.

It is a communication that there is likely major stress and mineral depletion happening on a cellular level.  It is also important to keep in mind that graying hair is related to the oxidative process, something that occurs when atoms or groups of atoms lose electrons.  What happens when you burn a log down in a campfire?  It literally turns to gray ash.

Early graying hair is a sign of burn out that can really result from many factors.  Some of them might include:

• Mineral depletion and subsequent mineral imbalances
• Chronic undereating
• Hormonal imbalance
• A stressed immune system
• Shock, worry and anxiety
• Heavy metal overload in the body
• Chemotherapy and radiation
• Insufficient kidney energy 
• Zinc and calcium imbalances

You probably noticed that all of the above factors have a common root cause: stress!  The system is under stress and your body is showing signs of communication through the hair shaft, which is considered a less important tissue than your organs, muscles or skeletal system.  The gray hair is a sign.  It is asking you to get curious about the reasons why your body is experiencing stress.

Can early graying be reversed?

Yes, absolutely!  Once your stress has been addressed and eliminated, your hair may return to its original color, at least temporarily.  A Hair Test Mineral Analysis (HTMA) can be a useful place to begin a deeper look into what is causing the stress.  Hair is where your body deposits materials in the body that are no longer needed.  It can show excesses and also depletions of certain minerals.  Hair health is definitely a reflection of the status of our inner nourishment.  Sufficient, high quality protein sources, healthy fats and an abundance of naturally occuring minerals are all needed to build strong, shining, melanin-rich hair.

As with all things in health, the sooner you address the gray hair communication the faster you will get results.

If you're just starting to see a few strands of gray, this is something that you can easily address with the right support. If you already have a head full of gray hair, you might want to shift your priority to other signs of imbalances. As you heal your body and give it what it needs, you will without a doubt see the aging process slow down. It just might not be enough to completely change the story of gray hair, but anything is possible with commitment and time!

Gray hair is just one sign.  

There have been others. Your body is giving you MANY messages about what is going on.  Do you want to learn the language of your body to understand what it is asking for? There’s still time to join Body Talk!