Premature grey hair can be more than just a sign of ageing – it might be your body’s way of giving you a little nudge. While genetics often play a part, factors like nutrient deficiencies, oxidative stress, and reduced melanin production could also be to blame.
To address early greying, experts advise a well-rounded approach: eat a balanced diet, manage stress, and consult a doctor to rule out hidden health issues. Your hair’s new look might be the push you need for a healthier lifestyle!
‘It affected my confidence’
For Sizeka Bambelo, a fashion designer from Kraaifontein, Cape Town, having grey hair from a young age wasn’t something she embraced. She recalls first noticing grey strands when she was just four years old.
“I remember being teased for my grey hair during my primary school years,” she says.
“While it wasn’t outright bullying, it did affect my confidence. I couldn’t understand why I had grey hair so early.”
Sizeka Bambelo
Today, Bambelo no longer hides her grey hair. “I don’t use hair dye or heat styling tools, as I believe they can cause more damage,” she says.
In high school, Bambelo began to appreciate her grey hair after receiving compliments from friends and family.
She says, “I decided to let my hair grow naturally because it’s long and healthy, even with the grey. I started blending black and grey braids into my style, enjoying the unique look it creates.”
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A lifelong routine
Mercia Klaasen from Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape began dyeing her hair black in her teenage years due to early greying, which she found unsettling. She tells Health For Mzansi that she has not embraced her grey hair and continues to dye it regularly.
“I still dye my hair to this day. I wouldn’t say it has affected my confidence but seeing grey hair at such a young age felt unusual.”
She started using hair dye at the age of 23, and now, in her 40s, she maintains this habit due to her premature greying.
“My approach to haircare is all about dyeing. I love black dye, and that’s how I continue to manage my hair,” she adds.
The causes of grey hair
Dr Leticia Kuda Mupawose, a trichologist and the founder of Feso-Africa in Morningside, Johannesburg explains that premature greying can be due to diseases, stress, age, or genetics, with vitiligo being a common skin-related condition.
“Hair greying is a common and visible sign of ageing, resulting from decreased or absent melanogenesis.”
Dr Kuda Mupawose
“Although it has been established that grey hair significantly impacts people’s mental health and social life, there is no effective countermeasure other than hair dyes.”
However, Mupawose warns that hair dyes with harsh chemicals may cause more harm than good. She suggests that food colourants could be a safer alternative, providing effective hair colouring without damage.
“The most common allergens in hair dye include p-phenylenediamine (PPD), resorcinol, m-aminophenol, p-aminophenol, and toluene-2,5-diamine,” she explains.
The science of grey hair
Mupawose says hair follicle melanogenesis is tightly linked to the hair growth cycle, which sets it apart from the continuous melanogenesis of the epidermis.
She notes that the optimal reconstruction of an intact hair follicle pigmentary unit occurs in all scalp hair follicles during the first 10 hair cycles, roughly up to around 40 years of age.
“Thereafter there appears to be a genetically regulated exhaustion of the pigmentary potential of each individual hair follicle leading to the formation of true grey and white hair.”
Sometimes premature hair greying can be caused by deficiencies in vitamins B9, B12, biotin, or vitamin D. L-tyrosine and catalase in formulations aim to prevent hair discoloration and stimulate melanin production, Mupawose says.
“However, there is no current clinical evidence that catalase and L-tyrosine supplements can prevent or reverse gray hair development.”
She adds that while selenium and vitamin B5, both antioxidants, help prevent oxidative stress, which contributes to grey hair growth, they have not been linked to stopping or preventing grey hair growth.
Mupawose says grey hair is very soft, weak, and breaks easily. Therefore, it requires minimal manipulation. She recommends deep conditioning after every wash, avoid perms, relaxers, and excessive heat.
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