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The appearance of gray hair on a baby can very quickly become a cause for concern. However, do not panic, know that it can very well be benign. Therefore, what to do when your baby has white hair? We will see in the first part, why your baby has white hair, then we will discuss in a second part, how to prevent the appearance of gray hair in a baby.

Why does your baby have white hair?

Why does the hair turn white? The phenomenon is called canities. This is a change that happens when melanocytes, the cells that are responsible for coloring the hair, decrease or stop the production of melanin. In other words, the hair continues to grow, only it is no longer pigmented, and therefore it is no longer colored. This is when the hair turns white or turns gray. At a certain age it is common for this change to appear, however at the age of your baby it is certain that it indicates other problems.

ONE or MORE gray hairs in your baby?

First, analyze the arrival of white hair and ask yourself: is it numerous, 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 could simply be a malfunction of melanin in one specific location. In the event that there is only a single white hair, there is no reason to be worried. This hair just hasn't had enough time to load up with melanin. As a result, the following ones will grow back in a normal way.

When multiple white hairs appear on the scalp, various factors can be responsible. We will now see the possible origins of the arrival of gray hair in your baby that it is 3 months, 6 months or other.

The causes likely to be responsible for the arrival of gray hair in the baby

1 - Melanocyte dysfunction can cause your baby to have white hair

At some point in life, it sometimes happens that the melanocytes do not properly produce hair pigmentation. This malfunction is not serious or abnormal, it should disappear over time if it only concerns 1 or 2 hairs. However, if the white hairs are growing in number, growing massively and / or coming back even after removing them, we suggest that you seek the help of a pediatrician to diagnose the precise reason for the dysfunction.

2 - A disease is likely to cause gray hair

Usually rare, a autoimmune disease, physiological disturbance or an specific pathology are likely to cause your baby to develop gray or white hair. In this specific case, the appearance of white hair turns out to be reversible if the disease can be treated. It is best to call your pediatrician or dermatologist if the appearance of gray hair is abundant and the process is amplifying. These concerns are likely to be: A thyroid disorder, vitiligo, Vogt-Koyanagi syndrome or Waardenburg syndrome. These pathologies have the effect of causing depigmentation of the skin or hair, and may occur gradually or all at once.

However, don't panic, don't fall into paranoia. These diseases are very infrequent. On the other hand, in these extreme situations, the arrival of white hair is accompanied by multiple more important symptoms.

3 - albinism causes white hair in babies

Albinism results in a lack of melanin for the skin, eyes, body hair and hair. It is a genetic anomaly, which is therefore hereditary. In view of the clinical signs, the diagnosis is in most cases made from birth. However, it may be in the first months of the baby's life, often before 3 months, that the first signs are visible. Albinism resulting in the total absence of pigmentation, all of the infant's hair is white. In these cases, it will be necessary to consult a doctor and ophthalmological examinations will be done on the baby to see the retina and thus make a diagnosis.

3 - A lack of certain foods may develop gray hair in the baby

Baby's hair that has white hair can therefore be a symptom that the hair is lacking in essential nutrients and therefore there is a lack of nutrition for your baby. To prevent your child from missing certain essentials, remember to follow the dietary recommendations of WHO (World Health Organization).

How to prevent the development of gray hair in a baby?

As we explained previously, the early bleaching of hair and the dysfunction of certain melanocytes is caused in many cases, and at the age of your baby, from factors which may be reversible. Usually, you don't have to worry, it is just something benign. If in doubt, do not hesitate to call your pediatrician or to a dermatologist.

Make a diagnosis to understand the development of gray hair

For starters, if your child has symptoms other than bleaching some of their hair, see a pediatrician to make sure it's not a pathological or hormonal concern.

If your child has no other symptoms, you can still do a general checkup prescribed by a doctor or nutritionist to check for any deficiencies. The blood test can reveal, for example, iron deficiencies or a dysfunction of the thyroid. Depending on the result obtained, the doctor or nutritionist will inform you of what to modify or not in his diet.

Solutions to prevent the arrival of baby gray hair

1 - Follow a nutritional plan adapted to your baby to avoid gray hair

As seen above, follow the nutritional recommendations to feed your baby. In this way, it will have all the essential nutrients to allow the body to build up properly and prevent it from having certain deficiencies that are sometimes responsible for the dysfunction of the organism and therefore the appearance of white hair in your baby. As soon as it arrives at stages of change of diet, stick to the saying "avoid foods that are too fatty, too sweet, too salty" which are responsible for the appearance of toxins in the body.

In any case, we recommend that you call your doctor before making any changes to their diet or giving them food supplements.

2 - Adopt a healthy lifestyle to fight against white hair in babies

1 - As we explained above, avoid industrial consumption as much as possible when your baby begins to eat foods other than milk. Be aware that industrial foods have a lot of toxins. As soon as the liver is saturated, the organ which has the function of cleaning the body is no longer able to eliminate toxins and this sometimes results in the arrival of white hair.

2 - Avoid exposure of your child to cigarette smoke as much as possible, which is responsible for the deterioration of the condition of the skin and hair. Indeed, studies have shown the relationship between smoking and the appearance of gray or white hair prematurely. In this way, it is best to prevent your baby from being exposed to cigarette smoke.

Note that in no case does our advice replace the advice of a specialist, such as a doctor, dermatologist, naturopath or nutritionist. If you want to take stock of your baby's state of health, do not hesitate to call your doctor or pediatrician.