White Hair: Causes and Prevention

Noticing a few gray or white hairs can be unsettling. But don’t worry. They’re not always a bad sign. 

If you’re in your 20s or 30s and seeing white or grey hair strands, it makes sense to worry. Premature graying of hair could be a sign of an underlying health condition. But it might also just be genetics or a hair care routine in need of a boost.

Below, we outline the potential causes of hair turning white and whether you can prevent it from happening.

White hair happens when your hair follicles lose melanin, the pigment that gives hair its natural color. This change occurs when melanosomes — tiny structures responsible for producing and storing melanin — stop working. 

These melanosomes are created by melanocytes, pigment cells at the base of hair follicles.

As part of the natural aging process, melanocytes die off, resulting in less melanin production. When this happens, any new hair that grows will be white, not its original color.

Naturally white hair is different from bleached or chemically-treated hair. Those treatments strip pigment from the hair shaft in a process that’s not reversible, but new hair growth will still have its original color.

Your hair naturally loses its pigment as you age. But some factors that age your body can also age your hair prematurely. 

If you’ve ever wondered “does hair turn gray from being scared?” you’re not alone. While it’s not common, extreme stress can cause your hair to whiten. But there are more common culprits behind premature graying, like genetics, habits, and diet.  

Let’s look at them in more detail. 

Genetics

Many of your features — like height, skin type, even dimples — are inherited from your parents. There’s even a connection between hair growth and genetics. 

Hair pigmentation is no different. 

If you had dark brown or black hair at the start of high school, but if your parents started graying in their teens, you might find a few white hairs sneaking in by the time you graduate.

Ethnicity also influences when you start to go gray. On average, white people start to go gray around age 20, Black people around age 30, and Asians in their mid-20s. If your spotting gray hairs, chances are your parents or grandparents faced the same thing at your age.

As you get older, graying and slower hair growth are natural. Fighting your genes is near impossible, so if your parents went gray, you have two options: embrace it or reach for the hair dye. 

Stress

Whether it’s at work or at home, stress can mess with your body and your hair. 

Too much anxiety or stress can lead to stress-induced hair loss. And while there’s no conclusive proof, some say it might even turn your hair white. 

So, does hair turn gray from being scared?

A study on mice revealed that stress can turn hair gray by triggering the release of adrenaline and cortisol and speeding up the depletion of melanocyte stem cells necessary for hair color. 

The researchers found that the sympathetic nervous system plays a key role in stress-induced graying. But more research is needed to better understand the link between psychological stress and hair whitening. 

But what about oxidative stress? 

Oxidative stress happens when free radicals outnumber antioxidants in your body. It’s a major player in aging-related diseases and can even cause premature graying of hair. 

Remember how melanocytes produce melanin? During this process, your body also produces free radicals like hydrogen peroxide. This can put the melanocytes under oxidative stress.

Another cause of oxidative stress? Environmental damage like UV exposure. Hair pigments help protect hair proteins from light damage, but external oxidative stress like from unprotected sun exposure can impact your hair health and lead to pigment bleaching.

Smoking

You probably know smoking has some serious health effects, but did you know it could be causing your hair to turn white? 

Nicotine from cigarettes may damage melanocytes through oxidative stress, affecting melanin production and leading to discoloration. 

A study on a mixed group of 207 people found that smokers were 2.5 times more likely to have premature gray hair. 

Read more about why smoking is bad for your hair in our blog Does smoking cause hair loss?

Nutrient Deficiencies

It’s true. Your diet can impact your hair health in a major way, even contributing to hair loss.

Nutrient deficiencies of all kinds have hair loss as a side effect. For example, if you’re vegan or vegetarian, you’re more likely to experience protein deficiency hair loss. 

Thankfully, addressing any deficiencies usually helps kickstart new growth. 

Poor nutrition can also cause hair pigmentation changes. Nutrients like iron, biotin, vitamin B12 and folic acid are essential to hair coloring.

One small study involving just over 50 participants found a link between vitamin B12 and biotin deficiency and gray hair.

Another study of 100 Indian students also revealed a connection between B12 deficiency and hair graying. 

Read about 8 vitamin deficiencies that can cause hair loss. 

Diseases

White hair isn’t always about getting older. It could signal an underlying health issue. 

Medical conditions like vitiligo and the autoimmune disease alopecia areata are prime examples.

Vitiligo destroys melanocytes, while alopecia areata causes the immune system to attack hair follicles, leading to hair loss and slower regrowth. When hair does grow back, it often appears white. 

Our blog illnesses that cause hair loss details conditions that can lead to hair loss. 

Thyroid Disorder

Thyroid disorders like hyperthyroidism can cause premature white hair.

Your thyroid plays an important role in hair color. When it’s overactive or underactive, melanin production drops. This can lead to early graying and even thyroid hair loss.

Curious about how to stop white hair in its tracks? Whether you can actually prevent it depends on what’s causing it. Let’s break it down:

• Addressing nutrient deficiencies. If you’re low in key nutrients like biotin and vitamin B12, adjusting your diet or supplementation may help boost your hair health. 

• Quitting smoking. Stopping a nictoine habit can help prevent gray hair, hair loss, and health issues down the line.  

• Managing stress. Tackling high stress levels with meditation, yoga, deep breathing, or therapy may help reduce your chances of going gray early.

How to Get Rid Of White Hair

How to get rid of white hair depends on what’s causing it. Here are your options:

• Thyroid treatment. If a thyroid disorder is the reason for your white hair, hormone treatment may help. 

• Vitamin and mineral supplements. A healthy diet is key for maintaining a healthy head of hair. But it’s not always possible to get all your essential nutrients through diet alone.  Addressing a nutrient deficiency might help with white hairs. Read more about essential vitamins for hair and the best foods for hair growth for fuller hair.

• Hair dye.Is white hair a family trait? You can pick up a box of hair dye or embrace the change. The fun part? You can choose any color you want for repigmentation.

If you suspect your white hair is the result of a medical condition, consider seeking medical advice from a dermatologist or healthcare provider. 

And if your hair going gray is affecting your confidence, it may help to speak with a mental health professional.

Hair going gray at a young age? Try not to sweat it. Just like male pattern baldness, there are a few reasons why those silver strands are showing up. 

Here’s what you need to remember:

• Hair loses pigment as you age. Hair follicles slowly produce less and less melanin over time, eventually turning white. 

• You can’t always control it. You can’t change your genetics, but you may be able to address other causes of white hair like thyroid disorders, stress, and smoking.

• You may be able to prevent whitening. Quitting smoking, reducing your stress levels and addressing deficiencies may help preserve your natural hair color for longer. 

Seeing your hair whitening at a young age can be stressful. But it doesn’t mean your hair will turn white all at once. And there’s probably nothing physically wrong with you. Still, it doesn’t hurt to get checked by a medical professional. 

If you’re dealing with early signs of balding at the same time, you can also check out these hair loss treatments.