That gray hair is hair for life, as well as a popular legend, is limited to a phrase of consolation for those who suffer from it since there is no scientific evidence to support this theory.
That gray hair is hair for life, as well as a popular legend, is limited to a phrase of consolation for those who suffer from it since there is no scientific evidence to support this theory. Quite the contrary since, although its main cause is genetics, sometimes its appearance is associated with “less healthy” hair, affected by agents such as stress or the lack of substances necessary for hair production. Of course, in any case, it suffers the same risk of falling as normal hair.
Gray hair is white, grayish, or even transparent hair, whose discoloration is due to the loss of melanin, the natural pigment of skin, eyes, and hair, produced by melanocytes. In addition to its coloring, it is usually differentiated from the rest of the hair by its texture, ”because it can be thicker and feel rougher to the touch, as its elasticity is reduced. In everything else, it is exactly the same as normal hair, with the same growth cycle and the same risk of falling,” explains Dr. Pastor Espinoza, from the Insparya Madrid clinic. The appearance of gray hair normally occurs in the third decade of life and is mainly due to genetic predisposition, as demonstrated by a study by the University College of London, by finding differences in the IRF4 gene of gray hair and pigmented hair.
What has been shown is that “there are other factors that can be associated with premature graying, such as environmental pollution, psychological stress, a vitamin B12 deficiency, or autoimmune diseases such as vitiligo,” says Dr. Pastor Espinoza, who reveals that, in the case of the first three, ”a diet rich in antioxidants and low in fat; avoid tobacco and alcohol consumption; do sports regularly, and avoiding psychological stress, simply with activities such as yoga or meditation, can help delay its onset”.
That gray hair is hair for life, as well as a popular legend, is limited to a phrase of consolation for those who suffer from it since there is no scientific evidence to support this theory
Treatments such as Insparya’s MesoHAIR, an easy-to-apply technique that consists of the subcutaneous administration of preparation with biotin and vitamin B, as well as proteins and mineral salts, stimulating growth factors, and antioxidants that reduce oxidative stress in the hair that slow down follicular aging and melanin loss.
ALOPECIA AND TRANSPLANTATION OF GRAY HAIR
Compared to the loss of color, alopecia is the loss of this hair due to the degeneration and loss of the follicle, which has nothing to do with the production of melanin. Perhaps, then, the popular legend is based on the fact that aging causes the former before the latter. ”Hair growth is due to keratin, and it is pigmented or colored by melanin. What normally happens is that the lifespan of melanin is shorter than that of keratin; That is why in advanced age it is reasonable that the melanocytes do not manufacture more melanin, but the hair continues to grow and renew itself thanks to the fact that the keratinocytes continue to manufacture keratin”, argues Dr. Carlos Caballero, medical director of the Insparya clinic in Marbella.
Therefore, any gray-haired patient with androgenic alopecia will also suffer from hair loss, but will also be able to face a hair transplant under the same conditions as a patient with colored hair, “since gray hair does not in any way condition the approach to this surgery, and postoperative care only depends on the characteristics of each patient’s scalp. In fact, a month after the intervention, you can already apply a hair dye if you wish,” says Dr. Carlos Caballero. In the face of alopecia, the most effective treatment is the avant-garde Dual Extraction Device, an exclusive technique developed by Insparya, which facilitates the extraction of follicular units precisely and in less time, allowing the transplantation of more than 4,000 follicular units in just 6 hours.
