Found Another Gray Hair? Here's What It Means For Your Health

Finding a couple of gray hairs here and there is par for the course as we age, but is going gray early cause for concern? The holistic and integrative doctors weighed in and all agreed with a resounding yes.

Prudence Hall, M.D., who is known for taking a regenerative and integrative approach with her clientele, believes that genetics can inform when we go gray but that we're empowered to beat the odds. "Even though gray hair can be genetically determined, we know we are not at the mercy of our genes," she said. "We can actually turn off and on our genes through hormonal balance, enzyme production, control of inflammation, stress, lifestyle, and diet."

It's also worth noting that quantity does matter, most likely. "More grays signify possibly more oxidative stress involving the pigment-making cells in the hair follicle, the melanocytes1," said Dr. Gersch. "Melanocytes utilize a great deal of energy to make hair pigment and therefore can reveal early stages of oxidative stress more readily than other cell types."

Don't get us wrong—we love a beautiful silver mane. But if you suspect your gray hairs are the result of prolonged stress, vitamin deficiencies, or an indicator of a disease that runs in your family, it's time to take a closer look at your health. Here are a few doctor-recommended next steps if you think your gray hair might be trying to tell you something:

"Early graying is linked to elevated oxidative stress (a state of inflammation), coronary artery disease, thickening of the lining (the intima) of the carotid artery2, smoking3, obesity4, and psychosocial stress," said Dr. Gersch. For patients graying prematurely who have a family history of cancer, dementia, and heart disease5, she recommends getting a checkup that includes blood work to check the status of cardiac health, lipids and inflammation markers, thyroid, nutrition, sleep, and stress6.

"I love enzymes, as they keep all cells healthy including the hair follicles," said Dr. Hall, who recommends slowing the graying process and supporting healthy hair growth with digestive enzymes. "Systemic enzymes decrease inflammation, which slows the aging process."

"[E]liminating grains and gluten can also help decrease inflammation, as does maintaining a healthy digestive tract," Dr. Hall said.

Since sleep is when the body processes, detoxifies, and rejuvenates, both Dr. Hall and Dr. Gersch recommend getting more sleep or taking an honest shut-eye assessment. Getting the right amount of sleep for your body can help prevent aging, keeping cells young and healthy.

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