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The discovery of the first gray hair is rarely good news. Especially when we know that the average age of their onset is around 35 years. But here we are giving you an average, the reality for each individual is quite different. The occurrence of white or gray hair changes from one person to another and depends on heredity, but also on various internal or external parameters. So, what to do about the arrival of gray hair at 25? Learn in a first part why you have white hair at 25. Then, second learn how to prevent and slow down the appearance of gray hair at 25.

Why do I have white hair at 25?

The phenomenon of hair bleaching cannot be avoided. This transformation is called canities. It's a 100% natural change that happens when the melanocytes, the cells which have the role of giving color to the hair, decrease or stop the production of melanin. To be clearer, your hair is still growing, only it is no longer pigmented, and therefore they are no longer colored. This is when your hair turns gray or turns gray. At a certain age it is usual for this mechanism to appear, however at your age it may involve other problems.

ONE or MORE gray hair at 25?

First, analyze the appearance of white hair and ask yourself the question: is it a lot, sparse or is there only one hair that has turned gray or white?

Indeed, 1 or 2 gray hairs are not indicative of a problem Commonly, it may be a problem with melanin in one specific location. At times the hair is even depigmented in some places, and in others it keeps its color. In the case of a single white hair, there is no reason to be worried. This hair simply did not have time to load up with melanin. As a result, the following will grow back by being colored.

Factors responsible for the appearance of gray hair at 25

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

1- Gray hair at age 25 grows in most cases due to the body's natural aging

As we have described, gray hair at age 25 appears because melanocytes no longer work well enough to produce pigmentation. Of all the factors that we are going to present to you that can explain 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 do not work more correctly in most cases simply result from their aging. Like the body or the skin, the differences between individuals on aging are difficult to explain. It is therefore natural that some individuals begin to have gray hair. Therefore, even if the aging of your hair is early compared to the average age, this cause is the most plausible.

2 - Heredity can explain the appearance of gray hair at 25 years old

Premature depigmentation of the hair may be related to genetic makeup and therefore to the way héréditaire. To confirm this, it's easy, you need to ask your immediate family if they experienced the appearance of gray hair at the same time as you. If they have seen them appear young, it is surely written in your genetic code and there is suddenly no other solution than to assume your hair white or to make a color. However, don't panic, the development of salt and pepper hair is generally gradual.

If your loved ones have had gray hair later than 25, other factors can explain your gray hair.

3 - A lack of certain foods may cause gray hair to appear at 25 years old

Gray hair that appears prematurely and therefore at age 25 can also be a symptom of lack of certain nutrients like trace elements, copper, zinc, or iron and vitamin deficiencies such as group B vitamins. 

4 - Emotional shock may cause the development of gray hair when you are 25 years old

A significant emotional shock like death or accident can lead to the early onset of gray hair at age 25. Indeed, when the body undergoes a traumatic shock or a very strong stress discharge, the body's immune defense mechanism reacts, and modifies the functioning of a certain number of cells. This would be likely to cause the appearance of gray hair.

5 - A bad lifestyle can activate the appearance of gray hair at 25 years old

A life a bit stressful, everyday cases that lead to chronic stress, unbalanced diet et smoking can be just as many parameters that accelerate the arrival of white hair at 25.

• The stress activates the phenomenon oxidation of cells and therefore causes premature aging of the body. It is also likely to cause inflammation which reduces the production of melanin. The hair also suffers from this inconvenience and turns white earlier than it should.

• Modern food consumption did not bring all good to our plates. Industrial food and the culture of "fast food" can lead to maladies which are likely to interfere with normal melanin production. At the same time, it contains too much fat, sugar and salt, and it is not rich enough in vitamins and minerals which can lead to shortcomings.

• Cigarette is well known to accelerate cell aging and hair. It affects the hair follicles and therefore causes premature graying of the hair. Know that scientific studies have shown the relationship between smoking and the development of gray or white hair before the age of thirty.

How to prevent the development of gray hair at 25?

Note that there is, to date, no medical treatment to fight against physiological canities (i.e. bleaching linked to aging of the organization); although experiments are underway to slow down or stop this process.

However, as we have just seen previously, the premature graying of hair and the dysfunction of certain melanocytes sometimes results from factors we are able to control. If you conclude that your hair bleaching is not of hereditary origin, read our recommendations to try to save time!

Make a diagnosis to understand the appearance of your gray hair

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

If you have no other symptoms, you can still do a general health check prescribed a doctor or nutritionist to screen for any deficiencies. The blood test can reveal, for example, iron deficiency 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 slow down the onset of gray hair at 25

1 - Eat a balanced diet to delay the development of gray hair at 25

Eat everything but stick to 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. If you have an imbalance in essential fatty acids, especially omega 3, you will encourage the onset of the first symptoms of aging, and therefore canities.

Minerals like copper, zinc and iron would positively affect the hair. The latter would be able to keep the hair follicles in good health and therefore prevent the premature appearance of gray hair at 25 years.

The copper is essential in the transmission of pigmentation to the hair. Note that melanin is generated by melanocytes thanks to the enzyme tyrosinase. And it is the copper that catalyzes this enzymatic reaction. This is why 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! Have a blood test to check your copper level before making any changes to your diet.

Finally, vitamins of the B group -and in particular vitamin B12- are necessary to prevent premature aging of the body and to give energy to the body. Therefore, eat foods rich in B vitamins to avoid having gray hair at 25. If you are vegan or vegetarian, fill in the potential nutritional deficiencies with food supplements, especially vitamin B12.

In a general way, respect a balanced and varied diet to reduce the risk of early onset of gray hair.

2 - Adopt a healthy lifestyle to avoid the appearance of gray hair at 25 years old

A balanced diet 

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

Healthy lungs 

Try to run away from cigarettes which accelerates the premature aging of the body and therefore of the hair. Indeed, as we have seen above, scientists have shown the concordance between smoking and the appearance 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.

A relaxed life 

Chronic stress promotes also the aging of the organism and consequently the development of gray hair at 25 years. We know that stress is difficult to control, however try to adopt techniques against stress or to practice relaxing activities.

3 - Grandmother's remedies for the appearance of gray hair at 25

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 characteristics to fight against the premature aging of the body.

• Activate the blood circulation in the scalp and bulb with coconut, jojoba or almond oil rich in vitamin E which helps maintain healthy and strong hair. Gently massage your scalp for a few minutes, as hairdressers do, to activate blood circulation.

• Make natural masks with antioxidant ingredients : sage or curry leaves, avocado, and onion have a reputation for their antioxidant properties and therefore act against premature hair aging. For their use, nothing could be easier: for 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 your age, note that if your hair has started to bleach and your hair turns gray or white it will not return to its natural color.

In the event that you do not accept your gray or white hair, the camouflage option is surely the best. Choose the coloring method (i.e. between temporary, semi-permanent, natural or permanent coloring), depending on the number of gray hairs as well as your current hair color.

In all cases, for your first dye, we advise you to go to a specialist who will be able to direct you on your needs and the best color.

• 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. Then, depending on the progress of your white hair on your head, opt for semi-permanent or permanent colors.

• 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 hair colors, however be careful to follow the instructions and not to do too often ... Even if you have difficulty accepting the vision of your regrowths and your few white roots! The risk is to damage your hair and dry out your hair, making it look dull. Sometimes you can even cause hair loss! It is better to wait at least four weeks, and the most recommended remains 2 months. The best choice yet is to make a natural color in case you don't have a lot of white hair to avoid damaging your hair.

• The natural method. If it happens that you do not have a large number of gray hairs at 25, we recommend natural hair colors made from plants and not containing ammonia such as henna. Ideal for not damaging your hair, your scalp and maintaining a natural color.

Whatever happens, in case you have more than 30% white hair, we advise you to have your color done by a professional because the coloring process is more complicated. Indeed, the white hair having a different texture from the pigmented hair, you take the risk if you do not go to a professional, not to end up with the expected result.

Please 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.

In summary, thanks to natural processes and a healthy lifestyle, you have the possibility of delay the process of premature canities and thus prevent the appearance of too massive white hair at 25 years.