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The arrival of the first gray hairs is on average around the age of thirty-five and can vary by more or less ten years. This is an average, the reality for each individual may be quite different. And yes, the appearance of white or gray hair changes from person to person and depends on heredity, but also internal or external factors. We will explain to you first, why you have white hair at 21, then we'll see, how to prevent and delay the appearance of gray hair at 21.

Why do I have white hair at 21?

White or gray hair, everyone ends up having some, it's inevitable. This phenomenon has a name: canities. This is a natural phenomenon which will occur when the 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 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 mechanism to appear, however at your age it is possible that it reveals other concerns.

ONE or MORE gray hair at 21?

First, analyze the appearance of white hair and ask yourself: is it many, sparse or is there only one hair that has turned white or is graying? Indeed, 1 or 2 white hairs in no way reveal any problem Commonly, it may be a problem with melanin in one specific location. From time to time the hair is even depigmented on some parts, and on others it keeps its color. In the case of'a single white hair, there is no reason to be worried. He just didn't have time to load up with melanin. As a result, the following ones will grow back in a normal way.

If you have an entire salt and pepper strand or several gray hairs that are spread over your head, this can be the cause of various factors. We will now see the different reasons for the appearance of gray hair at your age.

The different possible reasons for the appearance of gray hair

1 - Heredity can lead to the appearance of gray hair at 21 years old

Early depigmentation of the hair is usually simply related to genetic makeup and therefore to the way héréditaire. To authenticate this, you can check if your close family members have been through the same route as you. In another way, ask yourself, at what age did your parents' first white hair arrive? If they got them young, it's probably written in your genetic code and suddenly there's nothing you can do but assume your hair is gray or color it. That said, do not panic, the arrival of salt and pepper hair is generally gradual.

If no one in your family started to lose pigmentation around their twenties, other factors may explain your gray hair at 21.

2 - The appearance of gray hair at age 21 is in most cases due to natural aging

As we have seen, gray hair at 21 appears simply because the melanocytes no longer work well enough to produce pigmentation. Of all the factors that we are going to present to you that can explain a sudden appearance of gray hair, know that the cause of the natural aging of the body is the most likely cause at your age. Indeed, melanocytes that no longer function very well are simply the result of aging. Like the body or the skin, the differences between individuals on aging are difficult to explain. Therefore, even if the aging of your hair is early compared to the average age, this cause is the most plausible.

3 - Nutritional deficiencies are likely to cause gray hair to appear at 21 years old

Hair that begins to embrace white hair at age 21 can be a symptom that you are lacking essential nutrients and therefore are deficient in your diet. You will therefore need to respect a balanced diet correctly dosed in minerals, nutrients and vitamins to fight against premature aging of the body and prevent the development of premature gray hair.

4 - Emotional shock may cause the development of gray hair

Know that in reaction to a traumatic psychological shock and following significant stress, the body's immune defense mechanism would react, and change the proper functioning of certain cells. This would result in the arrival of white hair.

5 - A poor lifestyle can activate the development of gray hair at 21 years old

A life a bit stressful, everyday cases that lead to chronic stress, bad nutrition et smoking can be as many parameters that accelerate the development of white hair at 21.

1. The stress accelerates the oxidation process of cells and thereby can cause premature aging of the body. It can also cause inflammation which reduces the production of melanin. The hair undergoes these problems in this situation and turns gray more prematurely than it should be.
2. Industrial food current has not done that good to our body. The current diet and fast food culture can lead to diseases that are likely to interfere with normal melanin production. In addition, it is too high in sugar, fat and salt, and it does not contain enough vitamins and minerals which can lead to deficiencies.
3. Tobacco is well known to accelerate cellular and hair aging. By affecting the hair follicles, it causes premature aging of the hair. Note that scientific studies have shown the correlation between smoking and the onset of hair bleaching before your thirties.

How to prevent the appearance of gray hair at 21?

Before starting, we regret to inform you that there is, to date, no curative treatment to fight against physiological canities although research is underway to slow or stop this phenomenon.

However, as we explained previously, the premature graying of hair and the shutdown of certain melanocytes is in some cases due to factors that we are able to control. In the event that you deduce that your canities is not of hereditary origin, read our recommendations in order to slow down this process!

Make a diagnosis to understand the development of your gray hair

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

Then a general diagnosis made by a doctor or a nutritionist can also be made 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 21

1 - Eat a balanced diet to curb the appearance of gray hair at 21 years old

Eat a varied and balanced diet and avoid foods that are too fatty, too sweet, and too salty. Eat foods rich in vitamins, minerals and trace elements. If you have an imbalance in essential fatty acids, in particular omega 3, you will promote the arrival of the first signs of aging, and therefore canities.

Consumption of minerals such as copper, zinc and iron are said to have a positive impact on the hair. These would keep the hair follicles in good health and therefore prevent the risk of having gray hair at 21 years old.

Copper is essential in the transmission of pigmentation to the hair. Indeed, melanin is generated by melanocytes thanks to the tyrosinase enzyme. And it is the copper that catalyzes this enzymatic reaction. Therefore, a good diet providing the right daily dose of copper allowsavoid the appearance of gray hair early. Be careful however, copper is toxic if you consume too much of it! Have a blood test to see 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. Consequently, eat foods rich in B vitamins to prevent the development of gray hair at age 21. If you are following a vegetarian or vegan diet, consider taking food supplements for vitamin B12 in particular.

2 - Adopt a healthy lifestyle to fight against gray hair at 21 years old

As we explained previously, avoid junk food and fast food as much as possible. Choose fresh, unprepared foods such as fruits, vegetables, quality fresh meat, whole grains, etc. Be aware that industrial foods have a lot of toxins. As soon as the liver is saturated, the organ which cleans the body is no longer able to eliminate toxins and this results in premature aging and the appearance of white hair.

Chronic stress also accelerates the aging of the body and consequently the development of gray hair at age 21. We know that stress is difficult to control, nevertheless try to adopt techniques against stress or find relaxing activities.

Avoid cigarettes which accelerate premature aging hair. Indeed, as seen above, scientists 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 are a smoker, try to reduce your consumption as much as possible.

3 - Grandmother's remedies to fight against the appearance of gray hair at 21 years old

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

• Make natural masks of antioxidant ingredients: sage or curry leaves, avocado, and onion have antioxidant characteristics and therefore help fight premature hair aging. To use them, nothing could be simpler: for the leaves, put them to a boil, filter the infusion and apply it to your hair when it is lukewarm. For the onion, crush it, collect the juice and mix it with oil. Apply for 30 minutes. For the avocado do the same process, this time also keeping the flesh.

• Boost blood circulation to the scalp and hair follicles with vitamin E-rich coconut, jojoba or almond oil which helps maintain healthy and resilient hair. Use gentle circular movements on your scalp, like hairdressers, to activate blood circulation.

How to hide your white hair at 21?

At your age, you should know that if your hair has started to bleach and your hair turns gray or white it is unlikely to return to its natural color. If you don't accept your gray or white hair, the camouflage solution is definitely the best. Choose the coloring method (i.e. between temporary, semi-permanent, natural or permanent coloring), depending on the number of gray hairs and your hair color. Anyway, when you do your first color, we recommend that you go to a professional who will be able to guide you on your needs and the best color.

• Regarding blond hair. At first, the appearance of white hair is practically not seen. We recommend the balayage option for more naturalness. This will allow you to avoid redoing a color monthly to camouflage the regrowth and catch up with the coloring. Then, depending on the progress of your white hair on your scalp, opt for permanent or semi-permanent colorings.

• Regarding dark hair or red. Permanent coloring to camouflage gray hair will be your best option. When you do not have too much gray hair, you can opt for homemade colorings, nevertheless be careful to respect the information on the coloring instructions for use and not to apply it too often… Even if your regrowth is annoying you ! The risk is to damage your hair and end up with dry, dull hair and sometimes even significant hair loss! It will be better to wait at least 4 weeks, and the best is two months. The best choice yet is to favor natural color when you don't have a lot of gray or white hair to prevent damage to your hair.

• The natural solution. If it happens that you do not have a large amount of gray hair at 21, we recommend natural herbal and ammonia-free hair colors such as henna. These dyes are ideal for not damaging your hair, your scalp and keeping a natural color.

Note that in no case, our advice replaces the advice of a professional, such as a doctor, naturopath or nutritionist. If you want to take a look at your state of health, do not hesitate to call your doctor.

By combining a healthy lifestyle and natural processes, you have the possibility of curb the process of premature canities and thus avoid the too massive arrival of gray hair at 21 years old.