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The
hair has a tendency to lose its natural colour with
advancing age. It is therefore natural for the hair to
turn grey with age. But premature greying is a morbid
condition and it makes even the young look older. This
causes a great deal of concern to affected persons,
especially women.
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 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, lustre
and blackness of the hair. The hair cannot be fed
externally, for such nourishment as the scalp requires
must come to it from the bloodstream.Causes of
Greying
A faulty diet
and mental worries are the two primary causes of
premature greying of hair. It is mainly due to the lack
of some of the B vitamins, of iron, copper and iodine in
the daily diet that this hair disorder is caused at a
young age these days. Mental worries produce an
extraordinary tension in the skin of the scalp which
interferes with the supply of vital nutrition necessary
for the health of the hair. Similarly, anxieties, fear,
jealousy and failures have adverse effects on the hair.
They dry out the scalpular marrow, the vital sap at the
root of the hair.
Other causes of premature greying 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 greying ; diseases like chronic cold,
sinusitis, anaemia, 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
Diet is of
utmost importance in the prevention and treatment of
premature greying of hair and persons suffering from this
disorder should take a diet rich in all essential
nutrients. The vitamins considered useful in premature
greying of hair are pantothenic acid, para-aminobenzoic
acid or PABA and inositol. The minimum daily requirement
of these vitamins appears to be 10 mg. of pantothenic
acid, 100 gm. of para-aminobenzoic acid and 2000 mg. of
inositol. To obtain satisfactory results, all three of
these vitamins, belonging to B group, should be supplied
at one time preferably in a form which gives all B
vitamins, such as yeast, wheat germ and liver. The three
anti-grey hair vitamins can be produced in the intestinal
tract by bacteria. Thus drinking a litre of yogurt daily
with a tablespoon of yeast before each meal will be an
excellent remedy for the prevention and treatment of
premature greying of hair. If one wishes to take tablets
of calcium pantothenate and paba, they should be taken in
addition to the yeast and yogurt and not as a substitute
for them.
Gayelord Hauser, one of the best known world
nutritionists, in his book ‘The New Diet Does
it’, claims that this treatment will restore the
grey hair back to its natural colour. He also advises
addition of iron and iodine in the form of sea food, to
an otherwise adequate diet for obtaining better results.
Besides fish, which is the main source of iodine, the
requirement of this mineral can be met by adequate intake
of carrots, bananas and similar other vegetables and
fruits. Carrots are especially useful in furnishing fresh
blood and maintaining the health of the hair.
Home
remedies
Certain home
remedies have been found useful in the prevention and
treatment of premature greying of hair. The foremost
among these is the use of Indian gooseberry or amla which
is a valuable hair tonic for enriching hair growth and
hair pigmentation. The fruit, cut into pieces, should be
dried, preferably in the shade. These pieces should be
boiled in coconut oil till the solid matter become little
charred dust. This darkish oil is very useful in
preventing greying.
The water in which dried amla pieces are soaked overnight
is Indian gooseberry (amla) is considered highly
beneficial in the treatment of premature greying of hair.
also nourishing to the hair. This water should be used
for the last rinse while washing the hair. Massaging the
scalp with a teaspoonful of amla juice mixed with a
teaspoonful of almond oil or few drops of lime juice,
every night has proved beneficial in the prevention and
treatment of premature greying of hair.
Liberal intake of curry leaves is considered beneficial
in preventing premature greying of hair. These have the
property to give vitality and strength to hair roots. New
hair roots that grow are healthier with normal pigment.
The leaves can be used in the form of chutney or these
may be squeezed in butter- milk or lassi. When the leaves
are boiled in coconut oil, the oil forms an excellent
hair tonic to stimulate hair growth and bring back hair
pigmentation.
The butter made from cow’s milk has the property to
prevent premature greying of hair. A small roll may be
taken internally and a little quantity may be massaged
into the hair root twice a week.
Ribbed gourd, known as torai in the vernacular, boiled in
coconut oil is another effective remedy for premature
greying of hair. Pieces of this vegetable should be dried
in the shade. These dried pieces should be soaked in
coconut oil and kept aside for three or four days. The
oil should then be boiled till the solid is reduced to a
blackened residue. Thisoil should be massaged into the
scalp. It will help enrich the hair roots and restore
pigment to the hair.
Hair
Dye
The paste of
henna leaves, boiled in coconut oil to get a darkish oil,
can be used as a hair dye to blacken grey hair. The paste
itself can be applied to the hair and washed away after a
few hours to dye the grey hair. Washing the hair with
concentrated tea extract twice a week is also considered
useful in colouring grey hair to brown or black.
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