This thing could be causing your hair to gray faster

Who likes to age? None of us. And I am pretty sure that we all will agree on at least this one thing. But things do not happen to please us. Sometimes (in fact most of the time) unwanted happenings whip us down. Let’s say, we start aging faster than we should or want. And as we age, our hair turns gray. Of course, aging is a natural part of life. But quick aging? A big no.

While genetics play a significant role in determining the speed at which our hair turns gray, there are also other factors to consider. One of these factors is something that may surprise you - stress. No keeping the secret till that very last sentence. Stress is something that is pushing you to age quicker than you should. So, what is the solution?

You don’t know much about stress

Stress is a part of life. It's something that we all experience from time to time. To let you get a deeper insight, it has helped us survive for millions of years. It had a very important evolutionary purpose – to save us from dangers and prepare us to tackle those. Either fight or flight. When the tiger came, your ancestors did not keep sitting calmly, whistling some folk song. Their stress system kicked and they got ready to tackle the tiger. But today, the equation has completely changed. Today, the tiger is everywhere.

When stress becomes chronic, it takes a toll on our bodies in more ways than one. We have numerous deadlines to meet, exams to give, shopping, appointment, promises, and whatnot. The stress is at its highest today, even though we do not face any real tigers.

One of the lesser-known effects of chronic stress is that it can cause our hair to turn gray faster than it otherwise would. But why?

The interplay of melanin and hair

Before we dive into the impact of stress on hair graying, it's essential to understand the science behind hair pigmentation. Melanin is not some otherworldly word. You surely might have heard of it at one point in your life. It is a pigment that gives a darker shade to your skin. This is the very pigment that has fuelled eons of unnecessary racism in the world. Wars, killings, bullying, and whatnot has happened due to this natural thing.

Each hair on our head contains melanin, a pigment that gives it its color. As we age, the cells that produce melanin start to die off. This leads to a reduction in melanin production. This reduction in melanin production is what causes our hair to turn gray or white. The reason you see old people with white hair.

This thing called cortisol

Genetics does play a significant role in determining how quickly our hair turns gray. But your ancestors are not the only reason behind every foul thing happening in your life. Research suggests that stress can also be a contributing factor. When we experience stress, our bodies produce a hormone called cortisol. Woah! Such a small word, but such big consequences. This hormone can have a range of effects on our bodies. One of its many works is reducing the production of melanin in our hair follicles. In other words, chronic stress can accelerate the graying process by reducing the amount of melanin our hair produces. But what to do?

The solution to hair graying is simple

While we can't stop the natural aging process, there are things we can do to prevent premature hair graying. The best thing is to manage our stress levels. But how do we do it? Well, you don’t have to do a management course for this. There are many different ways to manage stress,

• exercise,

• meditation,

• spending time with loved ones,

• playing sports,

• laughing like a madman each day

It's also essential to eat a healthy diet that's rich in vitamins and minerals that support healthy hair growth. If you are not able to meet your nutrient requirement, get your multivitamins from an alternative to eBay selling health and beauty products. Don’t wait for people coming to you and telling you that your hair looks odd. Instead, go to them and have a good laugh today. Won’t only it reduce stress, but it will also give you some good friends.