Premature Graying of Hair

The hair is an appendage of the skin. It is composed of the same kind of cells as are found in the outer layer of the skin, known as the epidermis. It grows from a hair follicle which is a deep recess in the epidermis. The sebaceous glands of the scalp secrete an oily substance called sebum, which is the source of nutrition, luster and blackness of the hair. The hair cannot be fed externally, for such nourishment of the scalp must come from the bloodstream.

Causes of Graying
A faulty diet and mental worries are the two primary causes of premature graying. It is due to the lack of some of the B vitamins, of iron, copper and iodine in the daily diet. Mental worries produce an extraordinary tension in the skin of the scalp which interferes with the supply of vital nutrition.  Similarly, anxieties, fear, jealousy and failures have adverse effects on the hair. They dry out the scapular marrow, the vital sap at the root of the hair.

Other causes of premature graying of hair are unclean condition of the scalp which weakens the roots of the hair as the pores are blocked by the collected dirt ; washing the hair with hot water and drying them with electric dryers which emit a blast of hot air; the use of hair dyes in the earlier stages when the hair have just started graying ; diseases like chronic cold, sinusitis, anemia, chronic constipation ; and the use of factory made hair oils, which are generally cleaned with acids and some of the acids have a tendency to remain in the oil. Heredity is another predisposing factor which gives rise to this ailment.

Treatment