Greying of the hair is said to occur due to a gradual decrease of pigmentation that occurs when ‘melanin’ ceases to be produced in the hair root, and new hairs grow in without pigment.
When greying occurs earlier than usual, this is referred to as premature greying. Persons experiencing premature greying may be younger children, teenagers, young adults and people in their twenties.
Researches have been done to try to determine why greying occurs so much earlier in some people than others, and while science has presented us with no clear answers, genetics, nutrition, and environment seem to be important factors.
Toxic chemicals in hair dyes
While some people use commercial hair dyes to cover their greys, many contain potentially toxic chemicals that have a negative impact on one’s health. In fact, in 2006, the European Union banned 22 substances usually found in hair dyes, regarding them as unsafe for consumers. The substances include the following:
6-Methoxy-2,3-Pyridinediamine and its HCl salt
2,3-Naphthalenediol
2,4-Diaminodiphenylamine
2,6-Bis(2-Hydroxyethoxy)-3,5-Pyridinediamine
2-Methoxymethyl-p-Aminophenol
4,5-Diamino-1-Methylpyrazole and its HCl salt
4,5-Diamino-1-((4-Chlorophenyl)Methyl)-1H-Pyrazole Sulfate
4-Chloro-2-Aminophenol
4-Hydroxyindole
4-Methoxytoluene-2,5-Diamine and its HCl salt
5-Amino-4-Fluoro-2-Methylphenol Sulfate
N,N-Diethyl-m-Aminophenol
N,N-Dimethyl-2,6-Pyridinediamine and its HCl salt
N-Cyclopentyl-m-Aminophenol
N-(2-Methoxyethyl)-p-phenylenediamine and its HCl salt
2,4-Diamino-5-methylphenetol and its HCl salt
1,7-Naphthalenediol
3,4-Diaminobenzoic acid
2-Aminomethyl-p-aminophenol and its HCl salt
Solvent Red 1 (CI 12150)
Acid Orange 24 (CI 20170)
Acid Red 73 (CI 27290)
Natural remedies for allaying grey hairs
For those looking for a natural alternative to slow down or reverse the greying process, there are some herbs that are traditionally used for restoring colour to the hair and they include:
- Oak bark
- Red Sage
- Wild Sage
- Rosemary herb
- Nettle herb
- Castor oil
Herbal formulas and combinations
Hair Rinse Formula:
A hair rinse can be made by making a decoction or infusion of individual herbs or a combination of herbs and applying the liquid to the hair as a rinse, deep conditioner, or a leave-in conditioner.
How to apply:
Apply to the hair consistently over a period of time. In fact, maybe you might want to consider switching from regular store bought hair products to more natural alternatives.
Nourishing hair oil
Ingredients:
1 cup castor oil
2 cups olive oil
1 cup nettle leaves (chopped)
1 cup sage herb (chopped)
1 crock pot
Direction:
Add herbs to your crock pot and pour oil to cover the herbs.
Set to warm and infuse.
Strain and bottle.
This may be applied to hair in lieu of regular hair oil or dressing.
Research on premature greying:
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