Low nutrition, untreated thyroid can trigger premature greying

‘Adequate nutrition, a balanced lifestyle and regular exercise can slow down the greying process’

June 21, 2014 12:07 am | Updated October 18, 2016 01:09 pm IST - Bangalore

Anti-grey hair shampoos and conditioners, hair colours and anti-grey hair oils are increasingly finding a place on the shelves of grocery stores. City-based doctors say that, over the past few years, there has been a marked increase in the number of young people with a grey hairline.

While there have been several studies carried out to evaluate and analyse the cause of premature greying, doctors say inadequate nutrition, untreated thyroid are factors which perhaps trigger it.

Swagata Chakrabarty, a dermatologist who has done a study on premature greying, says plenty of young people are reporting over five strands of grey hair, bringing them under the premature greying category.

The study, which covered 2,000 patients with grey hair in Bangalore, Mumbai and New Delhi, revealed that over 1,000 were below the age of 25. She attributed the increase in grey hair to deficiency in vitamin B 12 and Vitamin D, high cholesterol, hypothyroidism and stress.

Explaining the physiological condition that causes premature greying, she says every hair follicle contains pigment cells known as melanocytes (that contain melanin), which gradually degenerate or reduce in number resulting in greying.

Dr. Chakrabarty says adequate nutrition and diet, a balanced lifestyle, regular exercise and reducing stress levels could slow down the process.

The increasing number of pot-holes on the city’s roads coupled with poorly laid out humps and speed-breakers are taking a toll on people’s health. Needless to say, bone joints and the vertebral column are taking the impact.

With the monsoon setting in, roads are likely to be further . Added to this is the sedentary lifestyle followed by most youngsters.

City-based neuro surgeons confirm that they are seeing more people, particularly those driving two-wheelers, aged between 20 years and 50, complaining of backache and spondylitis. “Most youngsters do not like to walk and want to park their vehicle in front of the shop or office they want to get into. Rather than walk up the stairs in a building, they prefer the elevator,” one of them said.

“These unhealthy practices coupled with poorly maintained roads, unscientific speed-breakers are the main culprits,” says S. Balaji Pai, Head of the Department of Neurosurgery at Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI).

Motorists who use these roads frequently, end up with spinal problems. “Jerky rides put pressure on the disc joints in the vertebral column. If this happens repeatedly, the discs start degenerating, causing further problems,” Dr. Pai says.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.