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Overnight, without you being prepared, you discover one or more white hairs on your head. This is rarely a good surprise, especially when you consider that the average age of their pairing happens to be 35. But here we are giving you an average, the reality for each individual is quite different. The appearance of white hair varies from person to person and can depend on genetics, but also internal or external factors. That's why we're going to see today, what to do against gray hair at 17? Learn to get started, why you have white hair at 17. Then find out how to prevent and slow down the appearance of gray hair at 17.

Why do I have white hair at 17?

White or gray hair, everyone ends up having some, it's inevitable. This phenomenon has a name: canities. It's a 100% natural change that happens as soon as melanocytes, the cells which are responsible for the color of the hair, decrease or stop their production of melanin. In other words, your hair therefore continues to grow, but without pigmentation and therefore without coloring. Your hair will then turn graying or white. At a certain age it is common for this change to appear, however at 17 it is possible that it indicates other problems.

ONE or MORE gray hair at 17?

First, analyze the appearance of white hair and ask yourself: is it a lot, sparse or is there only one hair that has turned gray or white? Indeed, one or two gray hairs are not indicative of a concern : it could simply be a localized melanin problem.

Sometimes the hair is also depigmented in some places, and in others it keeps its color. In the event that there is onlya single white hair, there is no need to worry. He just didn't have enough time to load up with melanin. Thus, the next ones will grow back by being colored.

The different factors that can explain the appearance of gray hair at 17 years old

When multiple white hairs appear on your scalp, various factors can be responsible. We will now see the possible causes of the appearance of gray hair at your age.

1 - Genetics can lead to the appearance of gray hair at 17 years old

Early depigmentation of hair is usually simply due to genetic makeup and therefore to the way héréditaire. To validate this, it's easy, you have to ask your immediate family if they experienced the appearance of gray hair at the same time as you. More simply, ask, at what age did your parents' first gray hair arrive? Assuming they had them around the same age as you, it's probably written in your DNA and therefore there is no other solution than to assume your hair is gray or color it. However do not panic, the arrival of gray and graying hair is generally gradual.

If no relatives in your family have started to lose pigmentation at your age, other factors may explain your gray hair at 17.

2- The appearance of gray hair at age 17 is in most cases due to natural aging

As we have explained, gray hair at 17 appears quite simply because melanocytes no longer work properly and therefore no longer perform their role in coloring your hair. Of all the factors that we are going to see that can explain a sudden onset of gray hair, you should know that the cause of the body's natural aging is the most plausible cause at your age.

Indeed, melanocytes that no longer work properly are simply the result of aging. As for the body or the skin, the disparities between people on aging are difficult to explain. Some people will therefore start graying their hair at 17 years old, while others will start it later. Therefore, even if your hair is aging early compared to middle age, this cause is most likely.

3 - A lack of certain foods may cause gray hair to appear at 17 years old

Gray hair that appears prematurely and therefore at 17 can also be a symptom of an unbalanced diet that lacks variety. This can lead in particular a lack of certain nutrients (zinc, copper, iron, trace elements, etc.) and vitamin deficiency (especially B). 

4 - Emotional shock is likely to lead to the development of gray hair at age 17

A significant emotional shock such asdeath or accident are able to train the appearance of white hair at 17. Indeed, in reaction to a traumatic psychological shock and following a significant stress, the immune defense mechanism of the organism would react, and would change the functioning of a certain number of cells. This would result in the appearance of white hair.

5 - A healthy lifestyle can activate the development of gray hair at 17 years old

A life a bit stressful, everyday cases that lead to chronic stress, bad nutrition et smoking can be just as many factors that accelerate the development of white hair at 17.

• Stress activates the oxidation process of cells and therefore can cause the body to age prematurely. It can also cause inflammation which reduces the production of melanin. The hair suffers at the same time these inconveniences and turns white younger than it should be.

• Cigarettes are well known to accelerate the aging of the skin and hair follicles. It affects the hair follicles and therefore causes premature aging of the hair. Studies have shown the correlation between smoking and the formation of gray or white hair before the age of thirty.

• Modern food consumption has not only brought goodness to our plates. The current diet and culture of "fast food" can lead to illnesses that can interfere with normal melanin production. At the same time, it is too rich in sugar, fat and salt, and it does not contain enough vitamins and minerals which can very often lead to deficiencies.

What to do to avoid having gray hair at 17?

Above all, do not have false hopes… Currently, there is no medical treatment to fight against physiological canities although experiments are underway to delay or stop this phenomenon.

However, in view of what we have seen previously, premature graying of hair and the dysfunction of certain melanocytes sometimes come from factors we are in control. If you conclude that your canities is not of hereditary origin, read our recommendations to try to save time!

Make a diagnosis to understand the appearance of your gray hair

First and foremost, if you have symptoms other than bleaching some of your hair at 17, see a doctor to be sure it is not a pathological or hormonal dysfunction.

Then a checkup prescribed by a doctor or nutritionist can also be performed to detect possible deficiencies. The blood test can reveal, for example, iron deficiencies or a thyroid problem. Taking into account the result obtained, rebalance your diet or take food supplements accordingly to compensate for the lack.

Solutions to slow down the onset of gray hair at 17

1 - Eat a balanced diet to delay the development of canities

Try to have a varied diet while respecting the saying "avoid foods that are too fatty, too sweet, too salty". This also works to prevent the appearance of gray hair!

eat foods rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Indeed, know that if you are lacking in essential fatty acids, in particular omega 3, you will promote the appearance of the first symptoms of aging, and therefore the bleaching of hair at 17 years.

Minerals like copper, zinc and iron would have a positive impact on the hair. These would help keep hair follicles healthy and thus prevent the early onset of gray hair at 17.

The copper is fundamental in the transmission of pigmentation to the hair. Note that melanin is produced by melanocytes thanks to the enzyme tyrosinase. And it is the copper that catalyzes this enzymatic reaction. Therefore, a good diet providing the right daily dose of copper helps prevent the appearance of gray hair prematurely. However, be careful, copper is toxic if you consume too much of it! Have a blood test to check your copper level before making any changes to your diet.

B vitamins are essential to prevent premature aging of the body and to provide energy to the body. As a result, eat foods rich in B vitamins to prevent gray hair at 17. If you are on a vegetarian or vegan diet, consider taking food supplements to vitamin B12 including.

2 - Adopt a healthy lifestyle to avoid the appearance of gray hair at 17 years old

3 - Grandmother's remedies against the appearance of gray hair at 17

These remedies have never been scientifically proven. That said, they take care of the health of your hair and have very interesting properties to fight against premature aging of the body.

• Boost blood circulation at the level of the skull and hair follicles with vegetable oils (coconut, jojoba, almond) rich in vitamin E which allows the maintenance of healthy and resistant hair. Make delicate circular movements on your head, like at the hairdresser, to activate the blood circulation.

• Make natural masks with antioxidant ingredients : sage or curry leaves, avocado, and onion have a reputation for their antioxidant properties and therefore fight against premature graying of hair. To apply them, nothing could be simpler: concerning the leaves, boil them, filter the infusion and apply it to your hair when it is lukewarm. For the onion, crush it, squeeze the juice and mix it with oil. Leave it on your hair for about 30 minutes. Same process with the avocado, this time also using the flesh.

How to hide your white hair?

At 17, know that hair that has turned white will probably not regain its natural pigmentation. If you don't accept your gray or white hair, the camouflage solution is probably the best.

Made the choice of the coloring method (permanent, semi-permanent, temporary or natural), depending on the number of gray hairs and your current hair color. In any case, for your first coloring, we recommend that you consult a professional who will be able to guide you on your needs and the color that is suitable for you.

• For blond hair. At first white hair is almost invisible, as it is blended with your light hair. We suggest the option of balayage for more natural effect. This will allow you to avoid redoing a color monthly to camouflage the regrowth and catch up with the coloring. And then, depending on the progression of your white hair on your scalp, opt for semi-permanent or permanent colorings.

• For dark hair or red. Whether there are many or not, to properly camouflage the white hair on your head, the best solution is to use the permanent coloring method. When you do not have too much gray hair, you can apply homemade colorings, however be careful to respect the information on the coloring instructions for use and not to apply too much regularly ... Even if your regrowth is annoying you ! Otherwise, you risk damaging your hair and drying out your hair, making it look dull. Sometimes you can even cause hair loss! It is preferable to wait at least four weeks, and the most judicious remains 2 months. The best thing to do yet is to favor natural color in case you don't have a lot of white hair to prevent damage to your hair.

• The natural method. If you don't have a lot of gray hair at 17, we recommend the natural colors made from plants and not containing ammonia such as henna. These dyes are ideal for not damaging your hair, your scalp and keeping a natural color.

Come what may, if you have more than 30% white hair, we advise you to do your color at a hairdresser because the coloring technique is more delicate. Indeed, the white hair does not have the same texture as a hair which is colored, you take the risk if you do not go to a professional, not to end up with the expected result.

Be aware that in no case, our advice replaces the advice of a specialist, such as a doctor, naturopath or nutritionist. If you want to take stock of your state of health, do not hesitate to call your doctor.

To conclude, by combining a healthy lifestyle and natural processes, you have the possibility of curb the phenomenon of premature canities and thus avoid the arrival of too much gray hair at 17 years.