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The onset of the first white hairs is on average around the age of thirty-five and can be more or less 10 years later. Here we give you an average, the reality for each individual is quite different. The appearance of white or gray hair varies from one individual to another and will depend on genetics, and also on internal or external factors. We will see first, why you have white hair at 22, then find out, how to prevent and slow down the onset of gray hair at 22.

Why do I have white hair at 22?

White or gray hair, everyone ends up having some, it's inevitable. This process is called canities. It's a natural change that happens when melanocytes, the cells responsible for hair color, decrease or stop their production of melanin. In other words, your hair therefore continues to grow, only it is no longer pigmented, and consequently it is no longer colored. Your hair will then turn graying or white. At a certain age it is usual for this change to appear, however at your age it may reveal other problems.

One or many gray hairs at 22?

First, analyze the arrival of white hair and ask yourself: is it a lot, sparse or is there only one hair that has turned white or is graying? Indeed, 1 or 2 gray hairs in no way reveal any concern: it can simply be a problem of melanin in one specific place. From time to time the hair is also depigmented in some places, and in others it is still colored. In the event that there is only1 single white hair, there is no need to worry. He just didn't have enough time to load up with melanin. Therefore, the following ones will grow back in a normal way.

The different origins that can explain the appearance of white hair at 22 years old

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. Here is the possible causes of gray hair at your age.

1 - Genetics can lead to the appearance of gray hair at 22 years old

Premature hair depigmentation 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. More simply, ask, at what age did your parents or grandparents have their first white hair? If they got them young, it's probably recorded in your genetic code and suddenly there's nothing you can do but assume your hair is gray or color it. However, do not panic, the arrival of gray and graying hair is in the majority of cases progressive.

If your loved ones have had gray hair later than 22, various other factors can explain your gray hair at your age.

2 - The appearance of gray hair at age 22 is in most cases due to natural aging

As we have seen, gray hair at age 22 grows because melanocytes no longer work well enough to produce pigmentation. Of all the factors that you will find below that can explain sudden onset of gray hair, note that the cause of the body's natural aging is the most likely cause at your age. Indeed, melanocytes that no longer work very well are simply the result of aging. As with the body or the skin, the differences between people on aging are difficult to explain. It is therefore normal not to be egalitarian in the aging process and that some individuals have gray hair faster than others.

3 - A lack of certain foods may cause gray hair to appear at 22 years old

Hair that begins to embrace gray hair at age 22 can be a symptom that you are lacking essential nutrients and therefore are deficient in your diet. To avoid this, we advise you to respect a varied, balanced diet, in fresh products and rich in minerals, nutrients and vitamins. In this way you will fight against premature aging of the body and prevent the development of gray hair at an early stage.

4 - A bad lifestyle can accelerate the development of gray hair at 22 years old

A stressful life, chronic stressful situations, an unbalanced diet and smoking can all be factors that accelerate the onset of gray hair at age 22.

• Modern industrial food has unfortunately served us on the table with a lack of food. The current diet and the culture of "fast food" can lead to illnesses that are likely to interfere with the proper 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. It affects the hair follicles and therefore causes premature aging of the hair. Be aware that scientific studies have shown the relationship between smoking and the formation of bleaching hair before your XNUMXs.

• Stress activates the oxidative process of cells and as a result can trigger premature aging of the body. It is also likely to cause inflammation which reduces the production of melanin. The hair undergoes these worries in this situation and turns gray more prematurely than it should be.

5 - Emotional shock can lead to the development of gray hair at age 22

A significant emotional shock such as death or an accident can lead to the early onset of gray hair at age 22. Indeed, in reaction to a traumatic psychological shock and following a significant stress, the immune defense system of the organism would react, and would modify the functioning of certain cells. This would lead to the appearance of white hair.

How to prevent having gray hair at 22 years old?

Note that to date, there is no curative treatment to fight against physiological canities (ie natural canities) although experiments are underway to slow down or stop this phenomenon.

However, as we have just seen previously, the premature graying of hair and the dysfunction of certain melanocytes in some cases come from factors that we can control. If you think that your hair bleaching 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 any symptoms that develop other than bleaching your hair, see a doctor to be sure it's not a pathological or hormonal concern.

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 thyroid problem. Depending on the result obtained, rebalance your diet or take food supplements accordingly to compensate for the lack.

Solutions to slow down the arrival of gray hair at 22 years old

1 - Eat a balanced diet to curb the appearance of gray hair at 22 years old

Try to have a varied diet while respecting the saying "avoid foods that are too fatty, too sweet, too salty". This is also valid for preventing the appearance of gray hair! Eat a diet rich in vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Indeed, know that if you are lacking in essential fatty acids, especially omega 3, you will promote the appearance of the first signs of aging, and therefore canities.

Minerals such as copper, zinc and iron are said to have a positive effect on the hair. These would keep the hair follicles in good health and therefore prevent the premature appearance of gray hair at 22 years.

Know that 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 good diet providing the right daily dose of copper helps prevent the appearance of gray hair early. However, be careful, copper is toxic if you consume more than necessary! Take a blood test to see your copper level before you change your diet.

Finally, B vitamins are essential to prevent premature aging of the body and to provide energy to the body. Thereby, eat foods rich in B vitamins to avoid gray hair at 22. 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 22 years old

As we have seen previously, avoid industrial consumption and fast food as much as possible. Choose fresh, unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables, butcher's meats, whole grains, etc. This is because processed foods are full of toxins. When the liver is saturated, the organ which has the function of cleaning the body is no longer able to eliminate toxins and this leads to premature aging and the appearance of white hair.

Chronic stress also accelerates the aging of the body and consequently the appearance of gray hair at 22 years old.. We know stress is hard to control, however try adopting stress relieving techniques or engaging in relaxing activities.

Avoid cigarettes which promote the degradation of the condition of the skin and hair. Indeed, as we have 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 smoke, try to reduce your consumption as much as possible.

3 - Grandmother's remedies to prevent the appearance of gray hair at 22 years old

These grandmother's remedies are aptly named: they have never been proven experimentally. However, they are good for the health of your hair and have very interesting properties to prevent premature aging of the body.

• Activate the blood circulation in the skull and hair follicles with coconut, jojoba or almond oil rich in vitamin E which helps maintain healthy and resistant hair. Use gentle circular motions on your head, like hairdressers, to activate blood circulation.

• Apply natural masks of antioxidant ingredients: sage or curry leaves, avocado, and onion have antioxidant properties and therefore fight against premature graying of hair. To apply them, nothing could be simpler: concerning 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, 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 keeping the flesh.

How to hide your first white hair?

At your age, know that if your hair has started to bleach and your hair turns gray or white, it probably won't return to its natural color. In the event that you don't accept your white hair, the camouflage option is definitely the best.

Choose the coloring method (i.e. between temporary, semi-permanent, natural or permanent coloring), depending on the number of white hairs you have, but also your current hair color. Anyway, when you do your first color, we advise you to consult a hairstyling expert who will be able to guide you on your needs and the color that suits you.

• 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, but be careful to respect the information on the coloring instructions for use and not to apply too frequently… Even if you have hard to accept the vision of your regrowth and your few white roots! Otherwise, you risk damaging your hair and ending up with dry, dull hair and sometimes even significant hair loss! It is best to wait at least four weeks, and the best is two months. The ideal again is to favor natural color when you do not have a large number of white hair to prevent damage to your hair.

• Regarding blond hair. At first, the first white hairs are barely visible. We recommend the 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, as your white hair progresses on your scalp, opt for semi-permanent or permanent colors.

• The natural method. If you don't have a lot of white hair at 22, we suggest natural dyes made from plants and without ammonia such as henna. These dyes are ideal for not damaging your hair, your scalp and keeping a natural color.

Note that in no case does our advice replace the advice of a professional, 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.

By combining a healthy lifestyle and natural processes, you have the possibility of delay the phenomenon of premature hair depigmentation and thus prevent the arrival of too much gray hair at 22 years.