You Can’t Stop Gray Hair, But You Can Slow It Down

As people age, their skin becomes older and their hair turns white. This is the natural process of aging and each human being has to go through it. We can not avoid this, but we can certainly prevent premature aging, as well as premature graying of our hair.

By following the tips listed below, you will greatly increase the probability of maintaining your natural color for a longer time, while taking all necessary precautions to prevent gray hair growth.

Just a few words about gray hair

stop gray hair
Source

Our hair turns gray when it starts losing its natural pigment-producing cells, known as melanocytes, which give hair its color.

Hair graying is mainly due to aging, but it can also be caused by several other factors such as genetics, stress, malnutrition, or health disorders, as well as certain bad lifestyle choices.

However, if you really apply all of the following tips to your everyday life, you will probably manage to keep those grays at bay. For a little while longer at least.

The more you smoke the grayer your hair gets

stop gray hair
Source

Talking about bad lifestyle choices smoking is definitely one of them. Smoking speeds up the aging process of the entire body, your hair included. So the first thing to do in order to stop gray hair from getting worse is to quit smoking.

Bye bye coffee, alcohol, and junk food

Too much alcohol and caffeine, as well a diet rich in harmful and low-on-vitamins food can be very bad for your skin and hair, and can cause premature aging.

Avoid processed and junk food, and limit the intake of white flour and refined sugar. These foods will only reduce your energy levels, and you will get nothing in return from them. Your body and your hair need nutrients to stay young.

Water is the name of the game

stop gray hair

If you are not hydrated enough, nutrients will have a hard time reaching your hair follicles. Lack of hydration and nutrients will, therefore, cause the graying of your hair.

Sneak water in your diet. Here’s how you can trick your body into choosing a glass of water instead of soda every single time.

Are you under too much stress?

Grey hair can also be caused by stress and anxiety. Prolonged periods of tension, nervousness, anxiety, worry, or other similar psychological states can lead to a sudden or gradual appearance of white hair.

We constantly live in stressful circumstances

Control your stress by practicing relaxation techniques such as yoga, deep breathing, meditation, etc. Your hair will be grateful!

Change your bad mood and with these six tips you’ll expel stress from your life.

A better mattress won’t just help you sleep better, but will also slow down gray hair

Getting enough sleep is a good way to reduce stress and keep your body, skin, and hair healthy and young.

Exercising on a daily basis also helps

stop gray hair

Good blood circulation and a proper blood flow are essential for preventing gray hair as they ensure that all necessary nutrients reach your scalp and hair. In fact, it is almost useless to consume proper foods, vitamins, and minerals if they cannot arrive at your hair follicles.

To ensure good blood supply to the scalp, you should regularly massage it with appropriate oils, as well as exercise on a daily basis in order to increase circulation and improve blood flow.

Eating more chicken can slow down gray hair? You bet.

stop gray hair

Protein is required for the production of melanin, the pigment that provides color to your hair and skin. To stop gray hair, eat plenty of protein – rich foods such as turkey, chicken, sprouted whole grains, cereals, and soy.

Take B-group Vitamins – B2, B6, and B12

The deficiency of these vitamins may cause premature graying of hair. You should eat foods that are rich in vitamin B such as whole grain bread, cereals, bananas, eggs, dairy products, poultry, meat, and green leafy vegetables.

What you eat is what you get.

stop gray hair

Copper deficiency can also significantly contribute to premature graying. One of the ways to stop gray hair naturally is to eat foods containing high amounts of copper such as turnip greens, spinach, beef liver, sunflower seeds, cashews, lentils, almonds, clams, crabs, oysters, egg yolk, and mushrooms.

Put iodine rich foods on your grocery list

Iodine is another mineral that is important for maintaining hair color. Foods rich in iodine include bananas, carrots, spinach, and fish.

And selenium!

Selenium can also help prevent gray hair. Selenium rich foods are shellfish, tuna, salmon, corn, wheat, soybeans, walnuts, Brazil nuts, and sunflower seeds.

What about home hair treatments?

There are a few really good hair treatments that can considerably help prevent gray hair. But if you really wish to benefit from them, you must make sure you apply them regularly. Listed below are the most efficient ones.

1. Amla is an Indian gooseberry and it is one of the best hair treatments to prevent gray hair. Just regularly rub the amla paste into your scalp, and you will see amazing results.

2. Fo-ti is a Chinese herb, known also as the longevity tonic, which has been used for centuries to prevent gray hair and premature aging. Its name means “black-haired Mr. He”.

3. Massage your scalp with coconut oil and lemon. That is another good way to prevent gray hair.

There you have it. If you really follow all of the above-mentioned advice, you will manage to keep grays at bay and maintain your natural hair color for as long as your age allows it. If you have any other interesting tips to suggest, please share them with us or with a friend who might need these tips.

Women have to deal with hormones, work, household, children and yet find the time to look good and, as if this is not enough, feel even better.  The older we get the more effort we have to put in fighting gravity. But, we can feel good and look younger than we are without using plastic surgery.

Here is how.

Cover photo: http://www.pinterest.com

About the author

Jessica

Jessica is a translator who has lived for many years in Asia and South America. She now lives and works in Europe, while preparing her new journeys. She enjoys traveling, meeting new people, exploring different cultures and foods, and being in love.

18 Comments

Click here to post a comment

  • Be VERY careful with iodine. Because if you take too much, it will have the opposite effect. I believe I started taking too much iodine (an oral supplement) and it precipitated that…I think they may be the reason I started spotting more gray hairs on my head.

  • combined effort of stress control and using herbs for the scalps may starts preventing white hair.I will start today to look different.

  • I really need this information as I have lots of gray hair already. I’m 49 years old and I want to get rid of this.

  • im 21 yearz old…im hvng white hair since im 14 yearz old…anyways thnks alot for the tips..i will try it

  • I am a 36 years old lady I have lots of grey hair is it related to high cholestrol?i have high cholesterol

  • My mother rarely eats chicken (she doesn’t like it), preferring fish and red meat. She smoked cigarettes from age 20-70. She doesn’t exercise, loves coffee(4-5 cups/per day) and doesn’t drink water. She is 86 and has very little gray hair (some streaks of silver, not noticeable unless close up), drives her car, teaches art class, has good eyesight, is very agile. But, she sleeps well, has a social life, and doesn’t let herself get stressed out. – I am not negating the suggestions in this article – I feel the most important overall clue to slowing down the aging process, is to have a good attitude, eat well-balanced meals/without processed foods, and manage your emotions. Toxic emotions create havoc to our cells, disabling their ability to perform at their optimum levels.

  • Grey hair is absolutely beautiful. I think what most people DON’T like, or fear, is the transition period as their own colour turns to grey, leaving a half-n-half, mottled appearance. But a full-blown head of grey or grey/white hair on a man or woman is very attractive imo.

  • Well so terrified I am getting so old rather I am old school things have gotton so advance i am so scared. You have no idea what to do about myself. I am in may 60’s I I am getting graying hair. I feel beaten having a hard time keeping up. would to do?

  • sir my beard is whiting 1st its start from gray colors & turns into white so , i can apply the coconut oil & lemon for my beard it work or not sir .
    i have stopped the drinking the tea , 2months i started eating the (carrot, banana , egg , milk )can it stop the white hair or not i started eating the mention in brackets it will not increase no sir ?

    • have you get any solution regarding you problem of whitening beard. if yes then plz help me

  • I too have had a rather premature graying since I turned 24, then 1 of my best friend bought me a hair dye as present, and that’s when they start multiplying till I became dependent to the bloody thing. 19yrs fast forward, I decide to let it shine and to my surprise I’m noticing significant reduction. Either stopping the hair dye or the eggs and the avocado that I started eating every day to gain some omega 3 maybe the secret to my grey reduction.