White hair
considered one of the hallmarks of aging
As people get older
Wrinkled face and grey hair
but some people
Grow white hair at a young age
We call it "less white head"
some people
When there are major changes in life
Have the experience of "worrying for a night"
Does stress really make hair gray?

Does too much stress really cause "overnight whiteheads"?

We often see the storyline of "white hair overnight" in film and television dramas. Although it seems a bit exaggerated, it is not without scientific basis. Human hair and body hair grow from hair follicles, and the melanocytes that determine hair color are derived from melanocyte stem cells.

A portion of the melanocyte stem cells in the hair follicle differentiate into melanocytes during the growth phase, and the melanocytes synthesize pigments that add color to the regenerated hair. With the increase of age, the total amount of melanocyte stem cells gradually decreases, so the color of the hair will gradually become lighter. After the melanocyte stem cells in all the hair follicles are completely consumed, the hair will turn white.

Why does too much stress cause gray hair?

It's because of a hormone called norepinephrine, the main source of which is the adrenal glands, and the sympathetic nerves another source. The raised areas of scalp hair follicles are highly innervated by sympathetic nerve cells, and when a person is under stress or stress, it causes the sympathetic nervous system to increase the release of norepinephrine, a hormone that is very active in response to stress and drives The human body responds by fighting back or fleeing. It also causes melanocyte stem cells to overreact, causing premature depletion of melanocyte stem cells in hair follicles. Due to the lack of melanocyte stem cells and the inability to convert enough melanocytes to color the hair, the hair begins to lighten or turn white.

Although the statement of "white hair overnight" is a bit exaggerated, too much pressure will indeed lead to rapid graying of hair, which can lead to premature hair growth.

Why do you grow white hair

White hair can be divided into two types: congenital and acquired.

Congenital white hair often has a family history, localized white hair is more common, and it is more common in the hairline in front of the head; acquired white hair has two types: senile white hair and juvenile white hair, and some are old and frail and have white hair. rare. Juvenile gray hair mostly occurs in children and adolescents, and there is often a family history. Except for the increase in gray hair, it does not affect physical health. The gray hair that occurs suddenly during adolescence is sometimes related to nutritional disorders. In general, there are several reasons for the day after tomorrow: nutritional deficiencies, chronic mental stress and lack of sunlight.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that gray hair is caused by deficiency of kidney yin, and the weakening of kidney function leads to slowing down of the body's metabolic function. Therefore, the treatment of gray hair should first supplement the kidney yin and fundamentally regulate it. In addition, some skin diseases such as vitiligo can also cause white hair. Normal people usually start to have gray hair at the age of 35. If it occurs earlier, it is best to go for treatment. The white hair caused by congenital heredity is difficult to treat, but the gray hair caused by acquired causes can be improved after treatment.

What's the matter with "less white head"

We often talk about "less gray hair", which means that the hair turns gray prematurely, and the hair turns gray when you are a teenager or in your 20s. Under normal circumstances, after the age of 35, the pigment cells of the hair begin to decline and white hair appears. So what causes this to happen?

①Lack of exercise: The reduction of exercise will lead to poor blood circulation, no effective blood supply to all corners of the scalp, and melanocytes cannot function normally.

②Irregular life or lack of sleep: This will lead to a decrease in the secretion of growth hormone and a slowdown of blood circulation throughout the body, resulting in gray hair.

③ Picky eaters and unreasonable eating habits: It will lead to a serious imbalance in nutritional intake. The nutrients provided by melanocytes during work are insufficient, and they cannot produce melanin to supply hair, so it is easy to gray hair.

④Mental workers who often use their brains are in a state of excessive brain use and excessive mental stress for a long time, plus the combined effect of the above three conditions, so they are prone to premature gray hair.

How to prevent gray hair

Adolescents should maintain a good attitude and avoid excessive sadness and mental stress; pay attention to a reasonable diet, a balanced diet, not picky eaters and excessive weight loss. Because these adverse factors will cause the blood vessels supplying the hair follicles to spasm and affect the nutrition of the hair roots, so that the melanin cannot be transported to our hair. Gray hair is also related to study pressure and anxiety, and some teenagers gray hair can be improved through nutrition and emotional regulation.

Insufficient daily intake of copper can also lead to the production of white hair. Generally speaking, our daily intake is only about 0.8 mg, while the normal required copper is 2 mg. Therefore, nutrition experts recommend eating more copper-rich foods such as animal livers, shellfish, fungi, nuts, apricots, and oats, which are very helpful in maintaining black hair.

How to control the increase in gray hair

①Find the cause of gray hair
Syndrome differentiation and treatment, some are caused by congenital heredity, and some are caused by acquired dystrophy, so it is necessary to target the target and give precise treatment.

②Rule of work and rest
Don't stay up late. In modern society, many people work overtime and stay up late, which hurts fluid and consumes gas. Staying up late will further aggravate the loss of qi and blood, which not only affects hair growth, but also causes us to be tired, yellowish and dull.

③Keep a happy mood
Avoid excessive pressure, the liver is in charge of dredging, and the air flow is smooth.

④ Eat a reasonable diet, eat more black food in moderation
Hair is closely related to trace elements in the body. The cells in the hair follicle are the fastest growing cells in the human body, and their growth must be fully nourished. It is recommended to eat more protein-rich "hair care" foods such as fish, beans, green leafy vegetables, animal liver, walnuts, and sesame seeds to help strengthen hair. In daily life, it is advisable to eat more black foods that nourish liver, kidney, essence and blood, such as black beans, black sesame seeds, black rice, mulberries and so on.

⑤ Quit smoking and reduce scalding
The study found that smoking is associated with graying of hair in people under the age of 30, and smokers are 2.5 times more likely to have premature graying than non-smokers. For those who already have gray hair, quit smoking as soon as possible.

Do not use inferior shampoo products, less perm and dye, reduce damage to hair and protect hair quality. Under normal circumstances, the interval between two perms should not be less than half a year. For people who already have gray hair, they should pay more attention to reducing the number of perming and dyeing.

⑥Comb your hair and massage your hair every day
Manipulative massage: Use moderate to strong force on your fingertips to comb the head, from front to back, from both sides to the center, and finally squeeze the scalp, massage the head with appropriate force, which can unblock the meridians and regulate qi and blood. , Promote blood circulation.

There is a saying in the classics of traditional Chinese medicine that "the hair is not white after a thousand brushes", which is exactly the effect of brushing the hair frequently and massaging frequently to prevent the growth of white hair. Comb the scalp twice a day, 15 to 20 minutes each time. Moderate exercise to relax Qi and blood, make the head sweat slightly, nourish Qi and blood on the head and face, and also have a good effect on preventing gray hair.