The color of the skin in human beings is controlled by a pigment called melanin. Increased melanin in the skin cells causes darker skin while reduced melanin causes lighter skin. Melanin is also responsible for the color of the hair.


If there is reduced melanin in the scalp, some of the hair will appear white while others will appear to be their normal color. This gives an appearance of grayness which is associated with old age. It is normal for a person to have plenty of gray hair once they are past the age of 40. However, grey hair could appear as early as the teenage years and some people may have a tendency to have grey hair from a young age throughout their lives.


When a person below the age of 40 has a significant amount of gray hair, it can be said that that person is suffering from premature graying of hair. There are several factors that may cause or contribute to the presence of these gray hairs in an individual. The change in hair color may be caused by skin conditions such as vitiligo, vitamin B12 deficiency, anemia, or by environmental factor such as stress. Stress may also contribute to premature hair loss which results in balding. In the case of vitiligo, there is little that can be done, as the entire skin of the patient will suffer from pigment loss.

There are some methods which can be used to reduce the prevalence of gray hair on one’s head. One can get medical tests done to check whether one is suffering from anemia or any vitamin or mineral deficiency. If such a deficiency is identified, then it should be corrected using dietary modification and, possibly, lifestyle modification. Vitamin B12 deficiency will also produce other symptoms such as fatigue and poor memory function. A severe deficiency is potentially damaging to the system. Adding iron and copper to one’s diet may help with gray hair, especially if there is a deficiency of these minerals in one’s blood sample.

A common remedy used particularly in tropical countries is the application of coconut oil to the hair before sleeping and washing the hair immediately after waking up. Coconut oil therapy is reputed to improve hair health, reduce baldness, and reduce grayness as well. A reduction in stress is likely to improve the condition of premature gray hair. It also has other beneficial effects such as the improvement of one’s overall health.