Blog

The development of the first white hairs is around thirty-five years old and can vary from approximately 10 years. This is an average, the reality for each individual is quite different. The appearance of white or gray hair varies from person to person and depends on heredity, but also on internal or external factors. We will explain to you first, why you have white hair at 13, in a second step we will see, how to prevent and delay the onset of gray hair at 13 years old.

Why do I have white hair at 13?

The phenomenon of hair bleaching cannot be avoided. This process has a name: canities. It is a natural change that will happen as soon as melanocytes, the cells which have the function of giving color to the hair, decrease or stop the production of melanin. To explain it another way, your hair is still growing, only it is no longer pigmented, and as a result it is no longer colored. Your hair will then turn graying or white. At a certain age it is normal for this process to appear, however at your age it is possible that it indicates other concerns.

ONE or MORE gray hair at 13?

First, analyze the arrival of white hair and ask yourself: is it numerous, sparse or is there only one hair that has turned white or is graying? Indeed, 1 or 2 gray hairs are not indicative of a concern Commonly, this may be a localized melanin dysfunction. At times the hair is also depigmented on some parts, and on others it is still colored. In the case of'a single white hair, there is nothing to worry about. This hair simply did not have enough time to load up with melanin. Thus, the next ones will grow back in a normal way.

When multiple white hairs appear on your scalp, various factors can be responsible. Here is the possible reasons for the appearance of gray hair at your age.

The different possible causes of the appearance of gray hair at 13 years old

1 - Melanocyte dysfunction may be responsible for gray hair at age 13

At some point in your life, sometimes your melanocytes do not properly produce hair pigmentation. There is nothing serious or abnormal about this problem and this problem should go away over time if it only concerns a few hairs. Nevertheless, if you have more and more white hair, it grows massively and / or comes back even after removing it, we recommend that you call your GP to determine the exact reason for the problem.

Also know that the cause of the natural aging of the body may be a probability to explain the appearance of your gray hair at 13 years old. However, don't worry, at your age the canities process is quite unusual. It is more likely that the arrival of your gray hair is simply the result of a passing concern in the production of pigmentation.

2 - A lack of certain foods may cause gray hair to appear at 13 years old

Gray hair that appears prematurely and therefore at age 13 can also be a symptom of lack of certain nutrients and vitamin deficiencies.

To avoid this, we advise you to respect a balanced diet and correctly dosed in minerals, nutrients and vitamins to fight against premature aging of the body and prevent the formation of premature gray hair. The vitamins that can be responsible for the appearance of gray or white hair are vitamin B, and more particularly B12. These vitamins are involved in the production of energy and the proper functioning of the nervous system. Vitamin B12 can be found in large quantities in foods of animal origin. If you are a vegetarian or vegan, plan to take supplements to fill this gap.

Beware of iron, zinc and copper deficiencies. In general, follow a varied diet to reduce the risk of the early appearance of gray hair.

3 - An emotional shock is likely to lead to the appearance of gray hair at 13 years old

A strong emotional shock such as a death or an accident can lead to the premature arrival of gray hair at 13 years old. In fact, in reaction to a traumatic psychological shock and following significant stress, the body's immune defense system would react and modify the functioning of certain cells. This would lead to the appearance of white hair.

4 - A healthy lifestyle can accelerate the development of gray hair at 13 years old

A life a bit stressful, chronic stressful situations, unbalanced diet et cigarette can be just as many parameters that accelerate the development of white hair at 13.

• Stress accelerates the oxidation process of cells and therefore can lead to premature aging of the body. It can also cause inflammation which reduces the production of melanin. The hair suffers at the same time these concerns and turns white younger than it should be.

• Today's junk food has not only done our bodies good. The current diet and the culture of "fast food" can lead to pathologies that are likely to interfere with the normal production of melanin. What is more, it contains too much fat, sugar and salt, and it is not rich enough in vitamins and minerals which can very often lead to deficiencies.

• Cigarettes are well known to accelerate the aging of the skin and hair follicles. By affecting the hair follicles, it causes premature aging of the hair. Know that scientific studies have proven the concordance between smoking and the onset of hair bleaching before thirty years.

How to prevent the appearance of gray hair at 13?

Before starting, we are sorry to announce ... There is currently no medical treatment against physiological canities although experiments are underway to slow down or stop this phenomenon.

However, in view of what we have seen previously, the premature graying of hair and the shutdown of certain melanocytes sometimes comes from factors that we can control. In case you think that your canities is not of genetic origin, follow our recommendations to try to save time!

Make a diagnosis to understand the appearance of your gray hair

For starters, if you have symptoms other than bleaching some of your hair, see a doctor to make sure it's not a pathological or hormonal dysfunction.

If you have no other symptoms, you can still get a general checkup by a doctor or nutritionist to check for any deficiencies. The blood test can reveal, for example, iron deficiencies or a dysfunction of the thyroid. Depending on the result obtained, rebalance your diet or take food supplements accordingly to compensate for the lack.

Solutions to curb the appearance of gray hair at 13

1 - Eat a balanced diet to curb the appearance of gray hair at 13 years old

Eat everything, while respecting the saying "avoid foods that are too fatty, too sweet, too salty". The latter is also valid for slowing the appearance of gray hair! Have a diet rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and trace elements. If you have an imbalance in essential fatty acids, especially omega 3, you will promote the appearance of the first signs of aging, and therefore hair bleaching at 13 years old.

Minerals such as copper, zinc and iron are said to have a positive effect on the hair. These would be able to keep the hair follicles in good health and therefore prevent the early arrival of gray hair at 13 years old.

Copper is essential in creating pigmentation in hair. Indeed, melanin is produced by melanocytes thanks to the enzyme tyrosinase. And it is the copper that catalyzes this enzymatic reaction. Therefore, a balanced diet and providing the right daily dose of copper allowsprevent the appearance of gray hair prematurely. Be careful though, copper is toxic if you take more than you need! Have a blood test to check your copper level before you change your diet.

Finally, B vitamins are needed to prevent premature aging of the body and to provide the body with energy. Thereby, eat foods rich in B vitamins to prevent the appearance of gray hair at age 13. If you are following a vegetarian or vegan diet, fill in the potential nutritional deficiencies with food supplements, especially vitamin B12.

2 - Adopt a healthy lifestyle to avoid the appearance of gray hair at 13 years old

As we mentioned earlier, avoid industrial consumption and fast food. Prefer the consumption of fresh, unprepared foods such as fruits, vegetables, butcher's meats, whole grains, etc. Know that processed foods are full of toxins. As soon as the liver is saturated, the organ which has the function of cleaning the body is no longer able to eliminate toxins and this has the consequence of causing premature aging and the appearance of white hair.

Recurrent stress also accelerates the aging of the body and consequently the development of gray hair at 13 years old.. We know that stress is difficult to control, nevertheless try to adopt techniques against stress or do some relaxing activities.

Try to run away from cigarettes which is responsible for the premature aging of the skin and hair. Indeed, as seen above, studies have shown the correlation between smoking and the development of gray or white hair before the age of thirty. If you are in a smoking environment, make sure you stay as far away from the smoke as possible. If you smoke, try to reduce your consumption as much as possible.

Note that in no case does our advice replace the advice of a professional, such as a doctor, naturopath or nutritionist. If you wish to take stock of your state of health, do not hesitate to call your doctor.

By combining a healthy lifestyle and natural processes, you have the possibility of slow down the process of premature depigmentation of hair and thus prevent the arrival of too much gray hair at 13 years old.