Gray hair and teenagers is not synonymously intertwined, as those golden years when childhood gradually merges into adolescence, gray hairs protruding through supposedly ‘youthful’ and ‘buoyant’ hair, could not be further from a teenager’s mind. Because of the distant associations between gray hair and teenagers, for a minority of youths who are unlucky enough to be plagued by the premature onset of gray hair, life can be sometimes excruciating.
Why do Some Teenagers Have Gray Hair?
Two main factors contribute to a teenager’s hair turning gray, illness or genetics, with the latter being the most likely cause. When youngsters start to produce gray hair it is known as “premature graying” or “canities”. A cell biology professor from a university in England described our hair as containing a “melanogenetic clock”, which is genetically predisposed to decrease or completely stop the amount of melanin being produced in our hair. When there is a lack of melanin activity, it means the hair follicles are lacking pigmentation, which then causes the hair turns gray. Typically this does not start to occur until we reach our 30s, but occasionally a reduction in the production of melanin can begin as early as during teenage years, and is a result of nothing other than our genes being programmed to do so. How quickly the gray hair engulfs the whole head is also determined by genetics, and can be a long and drawn out process, which can take many, many years, or it can develop more rapidly causing a person to be ‘completely gray’ in no time at all. Either way, if a teenager is faced with any amount of gray hair which is visible to their ‘peers’ it can provide for a source of ridicule and can consequently result in misery.
Some medical conditions can also affect teenagers’ hair and cause it to become gray. As a young person’s body fights some diseases such as neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder which affects the nervous system, and other rare conditions such as Vogt-Koyanagi syndrome, the antibodies created destroy the pigment melanin, causing the hair to turn gray. Vitiligo is a disorder of the skin which can also cause a teenager’s hair to turn gray or even white, as can hyperthyroidism, which slows down the melanin activity in the hair follicles. One common symptom of a deficiency in vitamin B, which is often linked to anemia amongst teenagers, is both the hair turning gray and the hair falling out.
Certain drugs, herbs and supplements, such as Echinacea and vitamin E, have also been linked to causing gray hair amongst teenagers.
Smoking
Smoking has also been associated with causing “premature graying” amongst teenagers. Youngsters, are not only continuously exposed to peer pressure, but they are also extremely impressionable, and often the lure of ‘looking cool’ and being part of ‘the ‘in crowd’ by smoking cigarettes, surpasses any feelings of being sensible or wanted to look after their health. Whilst many ‘scaremongering’ tactics are employed to deter teenagers from smoking, the link between gray hair and smoking is often ignored. If teenagers were better informed about the aesthetical downsides of the habit and knew that cigarettes are associated with gray hair and may have the potential to turn their luscious locks brimming with youth and vitality, into hair that resembles an old age pensioner, they may think twice before jeopardizing their appearance in order to ‘be cool’.
Ways in which Teenagers can Overcome Gray Hair
If a teenager is genetically destined to having gray hair by the time they reach their 18th birthday, there is little that can be done to prevent this inevitable misfortune from occurring.
There are certain steps however to help minimize the severity of the gray and prolong the process of becoming partially or completely gray. As mentioned above, refraining from succumbing to peer pressure and avoiding starting smoking will bring a multitude of benefits to a teenager’s health, including reducing the chances of their hair turning gray.
There are also certain natural remedies which may help to prevent the onset of premature graying. Taking a daily supplement of 15 mg of zinc with 1mg of copper is proven to have beneficial affects in delaying the arrival of gray hair within younger members of society.
Whilst stress and gray hair are not intrinsically linked, it has been suggested that stress and anxiety can augment and intensify hair which is beginning to turn gray on teenagers. Adolescents can be under types of stress which is unique to their age, and is essentially different to ‘adult stresses’. Whilst teenagers may not feel under pressure to find money to pay the bills, or worry about being made redundant, they can be subjected to stress invoked by bullying or not conforming to teenage ‘rules’, and at such a young age they do not know how to deal with it. Finding a gray hair as they look in the mirror will certainly cause anxiety and amplify any already existing stress. Learning to relax and cope with stress can only have positive repercussions on teenagers trying to deal with the worry that their hair is turning gray.
Some teenagers become anemic, which leads to a deficiency of B vitamins. A lack of vitamin B12 particularly has been linked to causing gray hair within teenagers. Taking a B complex supplement will help to boost this much needed vitamin and subsequently may help to reduce “premature graying”.
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Ways for Teenagers to Disguise Gray Hair
Prevention might always be better than cure, but if a teenager, who is desperately trying to obstruct the gray which is emerging on their head, but is losing the battle, a ‘cure’ or a ‘disguise’ may be their only option to thwart the school bullies from relishing in those who have fallen victim to premature graying, misfortunes. Teenagers, at least are extremely talented in ‘bending the truth’ and concealing their gray strands of hair from the view of others should not be too difficult. Nonetheless, there are several ‘established conventions’ which both teenagers and adults alike can take to conceal their graying mane.
Dye Gray Hair
Dyeing hair another color is the most popular and arguably the most effective way to disguise any impending gray. Gray hair is disguised more effectively by dyeing it with a lighter color, as re-growth will not be as noticeable as it would with darker colors. As teenagers who are affected by gray hair typically just have partial gray and not a full head of gray, blonde highlights can be a good solution for achieving a more natural looking head of hair, which will not be a drastic change. For teenage boys however, the prospect of having gray hair may be preferable over having blonde highlights. A full head of dye a shade or two lighter than his natural color may be the best solution for teenage boys to cover gray hair.
Reminex GH
Reminex GH is a Hair Color Restoration Vitamin, which is made from only natural ingredients and is a suitable product for both adults and teenagers to help and restore their hair back to its natural color. Reminex GH comes in tablet form and consists of different ingredients proven to combat premature graying hair, including Saw Palmetto extract. The fact that Reminex GH is available in the US without a prescription makes it a popular choice for teenagers, as they can avoid the embarrassment of going to the doctors to discus their ‘delicate’ problem.
Gray hair, at any age, is a disheartening symbol that youth is not an eternal gift. But when gray hair rears its ugly head on a person who is still in their youth, the physiological effects can be tremendous, as there is nobody quite as sensitive and responsive to any ‘abnormalities’ as teenagers.
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