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The appearance of the first white hairs is around thirty-five years old and can vary by plus or minus ten years. This is an average, the reality for each individual is quite different. The occurrence of white or gray hair varies from one individual to another and depends on genetics, but also on internal or external factors. And good news: we have control over some of them. So, what to do against gray hair at 20? We will see in the first part, why you have white hair in your twenties. Subsequently, we will explain to you how to prevent and slow down the appearance of gray hair at 20.

Why do I have white hair at 20?

You cannot avoid the phenomenon of hair bleaching. This transformation is called canities. It's a natural change that happens when melanocytes, the cells that color hair, decrease or stop the production of melanin. To explain it another way, your hair continues to grow, 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 change to appear. However, in your twenties, it is possible that this involves other concerns.

ONE or MORE gray hair at 20?

First, analyze the appearance of white hair and ask yourself: is it a lot, sparse or has only one hair turned gray or white? Indeed, one or two gray hairs in no way reveal any problem : it could simply be a malfunction of melanin in one specific location.

At times the hair is also depigmented on some parts, and on others it is still colored. In the situation where there is onlya single white hair, there is nothing to worry about. He just didn't have time to load up with melanin. As a result, the next ones will grow back in a normal way.

White hair at 20: the causes responsible for their occurrence

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 in your twenties.

1 - Genetics can lead to the appearance of gray hair at 20 years old

Early depigmentation of the hair is very often simply due 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 other words, at what age did the first gray hairs of your parents or grandparents appear? If they had them around the same age as you, it's probably written in your genetic code and there is therefore no other solution than to assume their gray hair or to do a coloring. However, do not panic, the arrival of salt and pepper hair is generally gradual.

If your loved ones had gray hair later than their twenties, other factors may explain your gray hair at 20.

2 - Gray hair at age 20 grows in most cases due to the body's natural aging

As we have seen, gray hair at age 20 grows quite simply because the melanocytes no longer work well enough to produce pigmentation. Of all the factors that we are going to see that are able to explain a sudden appearance of gray hair, know that the natural aging of the body is the most likely cause at your age.

Indeed, melanocytes which no longer function properly are simply the result of aging. As for the body or the skin, the differences between individuals on the onset of aging more or less early are difficult to explain. It is therefore normal not to be egalitarian in this process and therefore that some individuals have gray hair faster than others.

Therefore, even if the aging of your hair is early compared to the average age, this cause is the most plausible.

3 - Dietary deficiencies risk developing gray hair in your twenties

The appearance of white hair at 20, may be the symptom that your body is in lack of certain nutrients, minerals or vitamins. For this, it will be necessary to respect a balanced diet. It should be rich in copper, iron, zinc, B vitamins, trace elements and minerals. 

4 - Emotional shock is likely to lead to the development of gray hair at age 20

A brutal emotional shock such as death or an accident can lead to the premature arrival of gray hair at 20 years old. Indeed, in reaction to a traumatic psychological shock and following a significant stress, the immune defense mechanism of the organism would react, and would modify the good functioning of a certain number of cells. This would be likely to cause the appearance of gray hair.

5 - A healthy lifestyle can activate the development of gray hair at 20 years old

A life a bit stressful, a bad nutrition et smoking can be as many parameters that accelerate the development of white hair at 20.

• The stress activates the phenomenon of cell oxidation. Because of this, it can cause premature aging of the body. It can also cause inflammation which lowers the production of melanin. The hair will then turn white younger than it should be.

• Food consumption modern has not brought all good to our plates. The current diet and the culture of "fast food" can lead to diseases which can interfere with the proper production of melanin. In addition, it is too high in sugar, fat and salt. Finally, it does not contain enough vitamins and minerals which can lead to deficiencies.

• Tobacco is well known to accelerate the aging of skin and hair. It affects the hair follicles and as a result it causes premature graying of the hair. Know that scientific studies have shown the correlation between smoking and the appearance of gray or white hair before the age of thirty.

How to prevent the development of gray hair at 20?

Although research is underway to delay or stop physiological canities, there is to date no medical treatment to prevent it.

However, in view of what we have seen previously, the premature graying of hair and the stopping of certain melanocytes sometimes result from factors that we are able to control. If you think your hair bleaching is not hereditary, follow our recommendations to try to save time!

Make a diagnosis to understand the development of your gray hair

First of all, if you have other symptoms that appear as your hair is bleached at age 20, see a doctor to make sure it is not a pathological or hormonal problem.

If you have no other symptoms, you can still do a general health check prescribed by a doctor or nutritionist. This in order to detect possible deficiencies. The blood test can reveal, for example, iron deficiency or a thyroid problem. Depending on the result, rebalance your diet or take food supplements accordingly to compensate for the lack.

Solutions to slow the appearance of gray hair in your twenties

1 - Eat a balanced diet to curb the appearance of gray hair at 20 years old

Try to have a varied diet and avoid foods that are too fatty, too sweet, too salty to slow down the development of white hair at 20. Indeed, these foods generate toxins that block the proper functioning of the body.

have a diet rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Indeed, know that if you are in lack of antioxidants and essential fatty acids, in particular omega 3, you will promote the arrival of the first signs of aging, and therefore canities.

The trace elements such as copper, zinc and iron would have a positive impact on the hair. These would be able to keep the hair follicles healthy. Therefore, they would prevent the early onset of gray hair at age 20.

Le copper is essential in the transmission of pigmentation to the 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 intake of copper will help prevent premature canities. However, be careful, copper is poisonous if you take too much of it! Have a blood test to see your copper level before you change your diet.

Consume vitamins. Those that can be responsible for the appearance of gray hair are B vitamins, and more especially the B12. These vitamins are involved in the production of energy and in the proper functioning of the nervous system. Vitamin B12 is found in large amounts in foods that come from animals. If you are following a vegetarian or vegan program, take food supplements to fill this gap.

2 - Adopt a healthy lifestyle to avoid the appearance of gray hair at 20 years old

Avoid industrial consumption

As we have mentioned, avoid processed foods and fast food as much as possible. Prefer the consumption of fresh, unprepared foods such as fruits (especially red fruits which are antioxidants), vegetables, fresh meat and fresh quality fish, whole grains, etc. Indeed, industrial foods are full of toxins. When the liver is saturated - the organ that has the function of cleaning the body - it is no longer able to eliminate toxins and this results in premature aging and theappearance of white hair at age 20.

Relax as often as possible

Chronic stress also promotes aging of the body and therefore the development of gray hair at 20 years. We know that stress is difficult to control, however try to adopt techniques against stress or to practice relaxing activities.

Avoid tobacco 

Better than you avoid cigarettes which promotes the degradation of the condition of the skin and hair. Indeed, as we have seen previously, scientists have shown the relationship between smoking and the arrival of gray or white hair before the thirties. If you are a non-smoker but come into regular contact with smoke, be sure to avoid inhaling it. If you smoke, try to reduce your consumption as much as possible.

3 - Grandmother's remedies to prevent gray hair in your twenties

These grandmother's remedies are aptly named: they have never been proven experimentally. Having said that, they are good for the health of your hair and have very interesting specificities to fight against the premature aging of the organism.

• Apply natural masks of antioxidant ingredients: sage or curry leaves, avocado, and onion have antioxidant properties and therefore act against premature hair aging. Regarding the way to use them, nothing could be easier: regarding the leaves, boil them, 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. Leave it on your hair for about 30 minutes. For the avocado do the same process, this time also using the flesh.

• Boost blood circulation to the scalp and bulb with coconut, jojoba or almond oil rich in vitamin E 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 20?

At your age, note that if your hair has started to bleach and a lot of your hair turns gray or white by the age of 20, it probably won't regain its natural color.

In the event that you do not tolerate your gray hair at 20, the alternative of camouflage is probably the best. Choose the coloring method (permanent, semi-permanent, temporary or natural), depending on the number of gray hairs but also your hair color. At any rate, 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 suits you.

• For 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. Subsequently, as the progression of your white hair on your scalp, make permanent or semi-permanent colors.

• Regarding 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 use homemade hair colors, but be careful to respect the indications and not to do too often ... Even if you have difficulty accepting 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 better to wait at least 4 weeks, and the best is two months. The best choice yet is to favor natural coloring when you do not have a large number of gray hairs to avoid damaging your hair.

• The natural solution. In case you don't have a large number of gray hairs at 20 years old, we suggest natural herbal dyes that do not contain ammonia such as henna. Ideal for not damaging your hair, your scalp and keeping a natural color.

Anyway, in case you have more than 30% white hair, we suggest coloring at a professional hairdresser because the coloring technique is more delicate. Indeed, the white hair does not have the same texture as the colored hair, you take the risk if you do not go to a professional, not to end up with the expected result.

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.

To conclude: By combining a healthy lifestyle and natural processes, you have the possibility of delay the process of premature depigmentation of hair and thus prevent the development of too much gray hair at 20 years.