You think it is because of stress? Look at president Obama for example, at the start of his presidency till now the change in his hair color has been dramatic! It must be stress, right? Well, think again. So what causes our hair to turn grey or white?
Hair, toenails, and fingernails are made from the same material. This material is called keratin. Keratin is white in color. This is why your toenails and fingernails are white in color.
So, why wasn’t your hair white in color at birth?
Your hair wasn’t white in color at birth because it was stained by a chemical material called melanin. Melanin is made from melanocyte cells that are located at the site where your hair is produced and as the hair grows out melanin stains it to give it the color you have.
Melanin isn’t one color, though. It can be either black or yellow or the many different shades of black and yellow.
Why do we lose our hair color?
As we grow older, the cells that produce melanin begin to die and so does their ability to stain our hair as they grow out of our skin. Our hair color turns grey when we lose some melanin and it turns white when we have lost all the melanin in our hair.
Apart from age, the other determinant of how early our hair turns grey seems to be connected to our genetic makeup. Some families lose the melanin producing cells earlier than others and this is why most people that grey early would see the same in other family members.
Some people have argued that stress may cause the melanocytes producing the melanin to die off hence resulting in early grey or white hair. While this idea is seductive, there is no direct science to back it up.
Applying Hair Dye to your Hair and possible risks.
Although the jury isn’t clear on this, there has been risks of leukemia, lymphomas and bladder cancer linked to the use of the semi-permanent and permanent dyes. The risks of these cancers are higher in people who use them regularly and in hairdressers too.
If you live in one of the developed countries, it is likely that the production of these dyes is regulated so that certain substances are not allowed in them.
If you live in a developing country, you should know that it is possible that dangerous cancer-causing chemicals (used in hair dye decades ago) that are no longer in use in developed countries might be finding their way to your country. Some greedy people still use them to make hair dyes exported to developing countries because they are cheap. And with no quality control systems in place, you might be at risk.
If you are pregnant please stay away from hair dyes, it is yet to be determined if they harm the fetus.
Test the hair dye on a small part of your skin before you start to use it on your hair to make sure you are not allergic to the product. Do this even if this isn’t your first time of using it.
Wear gloves when applying dyes.
Rinse the scalp out thoroughly with water. Do not be tempted to leave the dye on longer than is recommended.
Remember that hair dyes are not for eyelashes and eyebrows. If they get into your eyes you may go blind. Permanently!
