A quote from the good book “the glory of the young man is their strength and the beauty of old men is the gray hair Prov 20:29“this stands a splendor looking from the eye of diverse culture across the world.
In the sight of this silver sparkling hair or the bald head we are fill with thoughtfulness and expectations of this symbol of nature associated with beauty that we must admire, a sparkling crown on the kings head that we must respect and obey, gray and bald head is also a mark of life experience that we must humble our self to learn from. You might call this a myth, but are associated symbol to the growing and aging human across cultures. To many young person it might become a dream, looking forward to the period of their life when it will be made known by nature to all, through this sign of gray hair or the bald head that they have come of age and must be given their dues accord by others.
In this vain, some have even gone ahead to create an artificial gray hair or bald head why to others fear and uncertainty set in, on the sight of a gray hair or bald head making them to live in fear of the mirror, they stand in front of the mirror agonizing over whether or not to pluck away the sign of your fading youth.
As life progresses change is also constant, before now the gray and the bald head is known to be an exclusive preserve of the old, on the average age of 30 to 50, when the first gray hair begin to pop out , but it seems life and time has really changed and they are having their perfect work in adjusting the human nature in this present generation, what was thought to be an exclusive preserve of the old can now be found on the young as people grow gray hair as early as 20 years of age at this present age. The question now is what has changed, causing the early or premature growth of gray hair? From research carried out by different scientists, hair turns into gray because the pigment cells called Melanocytes in the base of each hair follicle stop making pigment or colour, scientists aren’t sure what causes the pigment cell Melanocytes to stop making pigment or colour, what they do know. Hair goes through three phases, a growing phase, resting phase and a falling out phase, says Banabio.
From other research, we have found out some factors that can cause a depletion of the production of Melanocytes, not fully establish by science but can be seen to be an associated factor which include the decrease in the production and function of the Enzyme called Catalase that breaks down hydrogen peroxide, which when produced in high level lead to the blockage of the production of pigment Melanocytes leading to gray hair” says Benabio.
“Ninety nine percent of the time, when we grow gray hair it tends to be something handed down in our DNA” confirms David E Bank MD and Director of the center for Dermatology, Cosmetic and Laser Surgery. In fact, science has pinpointed a handful of genes on both sides of the family that contribute to pigmentation but if you don’t seem to have any younger grays in your family and you do see a change in hair colour happening very rapidly or abruptly not of nowhere- see your doctor just in case, vitamin B12 deficiencies untreated thyroid issues and types of anemia have been correlated with a loss of pigmentation says Bank.
Research does show a link between stress and gray hair. You wouldn’t give yourself gray hair at the start of every presidential inauguration people will compare the president current hair colour to what it was when he was first sworn in or before campaigning . A 2013 New York university study published in nature medicine, for example, found stress can cause the depletion of stem cells from the base of hair follicles example of such theory taking a look at the photos of how presidents aged in office for some not so scientifically proving.
Other factors that put you in great risk like being a vegetarian or vega, taking birth control pills or having GI issues, smoking is of the worst things you can do for your skin and hair says Dr Jihn. In fact research has shown an association between cigarette smoking and the onset of gray hair before age 30.
It does not matter how you feel about what you see in outward appearance, life is more of what happen inside of you than what happen outside of you. You should know that nature has a way of embarrassing each and every one of us with her gift, and it is always nice and encouraging to enjoy the gift of nature and not fight it. “Old age is a gift the saying goes that you don’t stop laughing when you grow old, you grow old when you stop laughing”-George Bernard. I speak to the soul of those that are aging that you should age with grace.
To the young, the tomorrow you dream of should be a standing mirror of how you live your life today, listen to voice of reasoning and live “My people perish for lack of Knowledge”. You can’t leave the picture of the future you are not ready to lay it foundation today. All work and no play make Jack a dull boy, take time out and rest, if you smoke it is time to ditch the habit, if you observe grey hair on your hair as early as you can call too young after checking your family history without an evidence of such, please and please I think it is time to see the doctor for a proper check up if it is a defect.
Life is beautiful, but we most make it so, Thank you.
