The hair has a tendency to lose its natural colour with advancing age. It is therefore natural for the hair to turn grey with age. But premature greying is a morbid condition and it makes even the young look older. This causes a great deal of concern to affected persons, especially women. A lack of vitamin A may cause the hair to be coarse and ugly.
Causes of Premature Grey Hair:
•The lack of some of the B vitamins, of iron, copper and iodine in the daily diet causes this disorder at a young age these days.
•Mental worries also produce an extraordinary tension in the skin of the scalp; similarly, anxieties, fear, jealousy and failures have adverse effects on the hair.
•Other causes of premature greying of hair are unclean condition of the scalp. This weakens the roots of the hair as the collected dirt blocks the pores.
•Washing hair with hot water and using electric dryers to dry the hair during the early stages of premature greying causes the problem to increase.
•Diseases like chronic cold, sinusitis, anemia, chronic constipation also are a reason for the same.
•Heredity is another predisposing factor, which gives rise to this ailment.
Treatment of Premature Grey Hair by Nature Cure:
•The vitamins considered useful in premature greying of hair are pantothenic acid, para-aminobenzoic acid or PABA and inositol. To obtain satisfactory results, all three of these vitamins, belonging to B group, should be supplied such as yeast, wheat germ and liver.
•Drinking a litre of yogurt daily with a tablespoon of yeast before each meal will be an excellent remedy for the prevention and treatment of premature greying of hair.
•The addition of iron and iodine in the form of seafood, to an adequate diet for obtaining better results.
•Besides fish, which is the main source of iodine, the requirement of this mineral can be met by adequate intake of carrots, which are useful in furnishing fresh blood and maintaining the health of the hair, along with bananas and similar other vegetables and fruits.
Home Remedies for the treatment of Grey Hair:
Certain home remedies have been found useful in the prevention and treatment of premature greying of hair.
•The use of Indian gooseberry or amla is a valuable hair tonic for enriching hair growth and hair pigmentation. The cut pieces of dried amla should be boiled in coconut oil till the solid matter becomes like charred dust. This darkish oil is very useful in preventing greying.
•The water in which dried amla pieces are soaked overnight is also nourishing to the hair, if used for the last rinse while washing the hair.
•Massaging the scalp with a teaspoonful of amla juice mixed with a teaspoonful of almond oil or few drops of limejuice, every night has proved beneficial in the prevention and treatment of premature greying of hair.
•Liberal intake of curry leaves used in the form of chutney or squeezed in buttermilk or lassi, is considered beneficial in preventing premature greying of hair. These have the property to give vitality and strength to hair roots, since the new hair roots are healthier with normal pigment. When the leaves are boiled in coconut oil, the oil forms an excellent hair tonic to stimulate hair growth and bring back hair pigmentation.
•The butter made from cow`s milk has the property to prevent premature greying of hair. A small roll may be taken internally and a little quantity may be massaged into the hair roots twice a week.
•Ribbed gourd, known as torai, boiled in coconut oil is another effective remedy for premature greying of hair. Pieces of this vegetable should be dried in the shade and the same, should be soaked in coconut oil and kept aside for three or four days. The oil should then be boiled till the solid is reduced to a blackened residue. This oil should be massaged into the scalp, enriching the hair roots and restoring the pigment to the hair.
