Top 7 Vitamins for Grey Hair Reversal

Anyone who has ever experienced premature grey hair understands how embarrassing it can be. Hair has been viewed as an indicator of both health and beauty for thousands of years, but for a select group of people, their hair color changes too early. While there is no shortage of methods that have been proposed to fix this issue, many of them don’t actually work. However, recent discoveries have led researchers to determine what vitamins can reverse premature greying, and your diet may play a key role.

What Are The Causes of Gray Hair?

The color of your hair is determined by the melanin in your hair follicles. As you age, you may lose melanin and your hair may turn grey or white. While this is common in older adults if you start to see gray hairs in your early 20s or 30s, here are some possible causes.

Genetics

Gray hair can be a result of your genes, and it’s something that can be passed down from your parents. If you’re noticing more gray hairs than normal, it might be worth checking with your family to see if anyone else has prematurely gray hair.

If your parents or grandparents had premature graying, you are likely to have gray hair at an early age. The gene IRF4 (interferon regulatory factor 4) plays a key role in hair color and helps regulate melanin production. This gene is also responsible for gray hair.

Stress

Excessive or prolonged stress is another possible cause of early graying. Chronic stress over a long period of time can have a cumulative effect on your body and slow down your natural repair processes. A study of mice found that pain and psychological stress can cause melanocyte loss in stem cells and lead to greying hair.

Searches found that when the sympathetic nervous system is activated, it causes a release of noradrenaline. This in turn activates the stem cells that change to melanocytes. These melanocytes then migrate away from the hair follicles, causing the hair to go gray or white.

Vitamins Deficiency

One of the most common causes of premature graying in young adults is a lack of essential vitamins and minerals. Studies have shown that low levels of serum ferritin, vitamin B12, and HDL-C (good cholesterol) can lead to premature hair graying.

Smoking

Smoking cigarettes can not only cause physical health problems, but also hair health problems. The decrease in blood flow to hair follicles can cause early hair graying, and the toxins in cigarettes can have a negative effect on them. Smokers are twice as likely to experience premature graying before hitting their 30s.

What Are the Best Vitamins for Gray Hair Reversal?

What are the best vitamins to take for restoring youthful hair color? This is a question that many people ask, and there is no one definitive answer. However, some vitamins and minerals are known to be beneficial for hair health, including:

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is essential for the production of healthy sebum. Sebum is a natural oil that is secreted by the sebaceous glands to protect and moisturize the skin.

Vitamin B-6 and B-12

Two of the Complex-B vitamins, B-6 and B-12, help keep your skin and hair healthy. B-6 may help restore your hair to its original color if it has changed due to an illness or deficiency.

Vitamin C

One of the many benefits of Vitamin C is its antioxidant properties. Antioxidants work to protect cells from damage caused by oxidation, which can occur from exposure to air. Since hair and the cells in your scalp are constantly exposed to oxygen, these antioxidants help guard against premature aging and the development of various hair diseases.

Vitamin D

Although vitamin D is essential for strong bones, a deficiency can lead to various health problems like rickets and osteoporosis. Interestingly, some research suggests that a vitamin D deficiency might also cause premature grey hair, but the jury is still out on whether increasing your vitamin D intake can reverse this hair color change.

Biotin

Biotin is essential for the production of keratin, which is the primary component of hair and nails. Since hair is made up of keratin, biotin deficiency can lead to thinning hair and brittle nails. It may also contribute to a disorder known as brittle hair syndrome.

PABA (Para-Amino benzoic Acid) and Pantothenic Acid

Pantothenic Acid and PABA are two of the many vitamins that make up the B-complex family. These two vitamins are essential for healthy hair and can help postpone the onset of graying. When taken together, Pantothenic Acid and folic acid can help reverse graying by taking hair back to its original color.

Zinc

Here’s one you don’t want to miss! Zinc is a mineral that helps protect our cells and DNA from invaders, which makes it great for treating colds. It also helps produce protein in the body- so deficiency may affect your hair health (and more).

How to Naturally Reverse Gray Hair?

There is no doubt that eating the right foods can improve the general health and appearance of hair, so there is every chance that a healthy diet could also delay greying. If your hair is starting to turn grey, try eating more melanin-rich foods such as green vegetables, seeds, nuts, legumes, and fish. Science has yet to prove this, but eating the right foods will give you healthier hair that looks great. Who knows, it might even delay greying.

You can also look to increase your vitamin B12 levels by adding more meat, shellfish, dairy, and eggs to your diet. Premature greying has also been linked to abdominal surgeries like gastric bypass surgery, so a diet and lifestyle that can keep you at a healthy weight and prevent obesity is only going to have positive effects.

What Are the Symptoms of Premature Gray Hair?

Premature gray hair is a condition where someone begins to go gray before the age of 35. Some common symptoms of premature gray hair include a gradual thinning of hair, a receding hairline, and a general loss of hair volume. Other symptoms may include a widening of the part, less defined edges between hair color, and a thinning in some areas.

Supplements That Can Help Reverse Gray Hair

If you’re not getting enough of the above nutrients in your diet, taking a supplement could help.

A balanced diet can help keep your hair follicles producing the pigmentation they should, especially if you are experiencing premature graying.

Before taking any supplements, be sure to talk to a doctor or healthcare provider to see if you need them. They can help you determine if you’re truly deficient in these nutrients and advise you on any next steps.

Vitamin B-6

The recommended daily dosage for most adults is 1.3 milligrams, but those who are older or pregnant/breastfeeding require a slightly higher dosage.

You can take vitamin B-6 as a standalone supplement, or it can be found in many multivitamins.

Biotin

The daily recommendation of biotin for most adults is 30 mcg. However, you need more if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Vitamin B-12

The recommended daily intake of vitamin B-12 for most adults is 2.4 mcg. If you’re vegan or vegetarian, your daily intake may be as low as 1.5 mcg.

If you’re vitamin B-12 deprived, there are several different treatments your doctor may recommend. These can include supplements or injections to help boost the amount of this critical nutrient in our bodies and a multivitamin for those who don’t get enough from food sources alone!

Vitamin B-9

Adults are recommended to consume 400 micrograms per day.

You should always read the labels of multivitamins to ensure that they contain vitamin B-9, as this is an important nutrient for your health. However, if your multivitamin doesn’t contain this nutrient, your doctor may recommend a separate folic acid supplement.

What are the Benefits of Taking Vitamins for Grey Hair Reversal?

The benefits of taking vitamins for reversing premature grey hair are vast. Not only do they help to restore the natural color of your hair, but they also help to keep your hair healthy and strong. In addition to this, taking a good multivitamin may help you to prevent some of the conditions that lead to premature gray hair in the first place. Many people believe that taking vitamins for grey hair is a waste of money. This couldn’t be further from the truth, however. In fact, vitamins play a vital role in helping to reverse the aging process.

What are the risks of premature gray hair?

People who are prone to premature gray hair may find themselves at risk for anxiety. While this condition doesn’t pose any serious health risks, there’s still a chance it could be linked with an underlying illness or disorder that you don’t know about yet–and feeling anxious isn’t fun when your whole life feels like one big question mark!

Bottom Line

While more scientific studies are needed to ascertain the impact that vitamins can have on grey hair, many people have found dietary changes and vitamin supplements to be effective. In the end, it is well worth a try, as long as you are careful about the amounts of vitamins you ingest, as there are no real potential dangers.

Read more:

15 Greatest Benefits of Biotin (Vitamin H) For Health, Hair, and Skin

Vitamin D Hair Loss Solutions and Tips

What is The Best Time To Take Vitamins