Greying hair

Question:

I am young, but I’m starting to get grey hair. Am I too young to be experiencing this?

Answer:

Greying of hair is a natural result of the ageing process. The timing at which this happens is genetically pre-determined in each person and is not dependent on commonly thought factors such as stress or lack of sleep. It’s all down to your own individual, unique DNA and may start to occur sooner in some, and later in others. In most people, it begins in your 30s or 40s.

Studies have also shown that early greying of hair does not signal a shorter life-span. Unfortunately, it is progressive and irreversible and the only solution, if one is bothered by it, is to use hair dyes.

Premature greying is defined as the start of greying before 20 years of age. In such cases, there may be an underlying medical condition present, such as autoimmune diseases like pernicious anaemia or rare premature ageing syndromes like Werner’s syndrome or progeria. The onset of premature greying of hair should trigger a proper medical assessment to rule out such conditions.