Premature greying of hair due to an erratic lifestyle and other factors is a huge cause of stress todayNow, 50 shades of grey need not just be about the popular book, it’s also about your appearance. More youngsters today are sporting grey to silver strands, a sign of early greying hair. Actress Katie Holmes, who is just 34, was recently seen baring her greying hair at a diner in New York. The age group of those embracing early or premature greying arising out of a number of reasons, is on the rise in Mumbai too. Experts weigh in on the troubling issue…Greying begins to get apparent after the increased shedding of the thicker, darker hairs coupled with an enhanced growth of thinner white hairs. Explains dermatologist and cosmetologist, Dr Sadhana Deshmukh, “This shedding of hair can take upto a few months, but there are some cases of ‘overnight greying’ that happen due to a sudden fallout.” Greying also has a pattern. In men, greying starts at the beard, then moustache, side locks and spreads to other parts of the head over time. Chest hair turns grey only a few years later. For women, grey hair starts from the temples, then it spreads to the sides.More younger men and women are seeking consultation on this issue. Adds Dr Deshmukh, “A hormonal imbalance, Hyperthyroidism and Hypothyroidism, malnutrition, pernicious anemia, nutritional deficiency, using electric dryers and concentrated hair dyes, as well as genetic disorders, chemotherapy and radiation, are all factors. At times, a few gray hairs can develop in children as young as 8 years and then it is generally progressive with increasing age.”Trichologist Dr Sonal Shah, points out how, of late, women as young as 25 are worrying about greying early. “It’s the same case for men,” she says. She pegs it down to two major causes, “First is a faulty diet and second, mental worries. Lack of some B Vitamins, iron, copper and iodine in the daily diet are said to be contributory factors. Mental stress also produces extraordinary tension in the skin of the scalp, which interferes with the supply of nutrition necessary for good hair health. Apart from these, Premature greying is caused due to stress, anemia, poor scalp conditioning, abuse of hair as well as genetic conditioning.”While greying might be irreversible, correction of malnutrition via the right nutrition, can at least prevent it (see box). Dr Shah also suggests such preventive measures. “Regular healthy diet, proper hair and scalp hygiene and de stressing activities are a must. There are also temporary, semi-permanent and permanent solutions. For instance, a temporary solution would be applying henna and in the semi-permanent category, choose hair dye colours available in the market which if at all applied, should be ammonia-free,” she adds. Experts also advise applying bhingraj oil to the scalp, substituting coffee for green tea and eating vegetables rich in folic acid. It is also advised to quit smoking, avoid stress and an indisciplined lifestyle.