Where does the white hair grow, where does the disease come from? People who often grow white hair are less likely to get cancer? Here comes the truth

29-year-old Xiao Zhang, a programmer, often works overtime and stays up late every day in order to catch up with plans. Especially at the end of the month, he basically stays up two or three nights a week.

It is said that programmers lose their hair fast, but when Xiao Zhang woke up today, his hair did not fall out, but he found that a piece of hair on the back of his right side, from the root to the strand, was completely white!

"Is this the rhythm of a boy's head turning white overnight?" Xiao Zhang learned on the Internet that a shampoo claimed to make "white hair back to black", and the comment area was full of praise, so he spent 2,000 to buy one The course of treatment lasted for a month.

However, just last Wednesday, a colleague walked behind Xiao Zhang and suddenly asked Xiao Zhang why he seemed to have become bald a lot recently. Only then did she realize that the shampoo not only did not make her darker, but made herself even more bald.

1. Does "whiteheaded overnight" really exist? Research confirms

We often see in some TV dramas that the protagonist's "overnight whitehead" occurs due to excessive sadness or too much pressure after the death of a relative/lover. Is this a TV exaggeration, or does it actually happen in real life?

Published in the journal "Nature" and selected as one of the top ten scientifically important discoveries in 2020, researcher Zhang Bing (transliteration) used 3 stress models on mouse models and found that 3 stress models can make small children. The mouse's hair turned grey, possibly because the melanocyte stem cells were depleted under extreme stress .

Why does stress cause hair to turn gray?

This has to do with a hormone called norepinephrine, which comes from the adrenal and sympathetic nerves. Scalp hair follicles are innervated by sympathetic nerves, which can cause sympathetic nerves to increase the release of norepinephrine when a person is under stress or stress.

At the same time, it will also cause the melanocyte stem cells to overreact, causing the melanocytes in the hair follicles to fail prematurely . Due to the lack of melanin, the hair cannot be colored, and the color will become lighter or whiter.

In addition to excessive stress, lack of exercise leads to poor blood circulation; irregular life leads to imbalance of hormone secretion; unreasonable eating habits lead to unbalanced nutritional intake, etc. Hair turns white.

2. People with long white hair are less likely to get cancer?

Recently, an article on the Internet said that "long white hair can reduce the risk of cancer" has attracted the attention of netizens.

This online article cites relevant academic research, but after demonstration, this research is not "the latest research", and only discusses the mechanism of hair graying, and does not record any data related to the incidence of cancer. It should be noted that if white hair suddenly grows in some parts, you may need to be alert to the signs of the disease:

1. White hair on the top of the head and the back of the head: insufficient kidney qi

The top of the head is where the Du meridian and the Ren meridian pass through, and the back of the head is where the Ren meridian passes through. The Ren and Du meridians are inseparable from the metabolism of the kidneys. If white hair grows on the top of the head and the back of the head, it is mostly related to the lack of kidney qi.

2. White hair on the temples: Liver stagnation

The temples are the two sides of the ears, which belong to the gallbladder meridian of Foot Shaoyang. The white hair on the temples is closely related to the liver and gallbladder. Generally, the stagnation of liver qi, accompanied by dryness and irritability, bitterness in the mouth, dry mouth, insomnia and more dreams, are common in people with white hair on the temples.

3. Forehead white hair: spleen deficiency

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the forehead is the place where the "stomach meridian" travels, and the white hair on the forehead is related to the function of the spleen and stomach, and is often accompanied by loss of appetite, loose stools, and pale complexion.

In addition to the above lesions, graying of hair may also be related to abnormal thyroid function, impaired pituitary function, autoimmune disease, cardiovascular disease, etc. The specific cause needs to be investigated by a specialist.

3. Can whitened hair be "reversed" back to black hair? don't be fooled

In recent years, more and more people have gray hair at a young age, and there are many products on the market about gray hair turning black, but are these products really useful?

In a new study published in eLife in 2021, a research team led by Columbia University in the United States found that stress can accelerate hair graying, but when the stress disappears, the trend of graying hair will reverse .

The researchers analyzed that the mitochondrial link between stress and hair color in humans differs from the mouse stress model, which may be because mice and humans have different hair follicle biology.

However, white hair can be "reversed" but it also depends on the situation:

For gray hair caused by mental factors, by changing living habits and relieving tension and stress, gray hair can be reversed. For gray hair caused by chronic diseases, through active treatment, after the disease is cured, the gray hair can be reversed naturally.

And gray hair caused by age and genetic factors cannot be medically intervened .

Therefore, the so-called "farewell to white hair" and "white hair to black" and other products on the market are just gimmicks and belong to false advertisements. Consumers need to keep their eyes open and not be misled.

4. Supplement 3 kinds of nutrients daily to help prevent hair from turning white

Hair also needs nutrients to maintain a good state. When the body lacks certain nutrients, it will also lead to long gray hair. So, what nutrients should you pay attention to on a daily basis?

• Trace elements copper, iron

Iron and copper are important substances for the synthesis of melanin, which can make people's hair look black and shiny. Therefore, the daily diet can supplement copper and iron through foods such as black fungus, animal liver, and black sesame.

• B vitamins

Among the B vitamins, B2, B3, and B5 are important nutrients for hair growth, which can promote cell regeneration and facilitate hair growth. These four nutrients can be supplemented by eating vegetables and fruits every day.

• Iodine

Iodine is also an important element to promote hair growth. When iodine intake is insufficient, it can cause the function of hair follicles to decline and hinder the synthesis of melanin by the human body. Daily iodine supplementation can be supplemented by iodized salt, seaweed, kelp and other foods.

In addition to paying attention to nutrient supplementation and daily care, it is also necessary to cooperate with healthy living habits, such as regular living, quitting smoking and drinking, combining work and rest, and strengthening exercise.

As for the so-called "turned black" products, it is just "IQ tax". With that money, it is better to buy some delicious food, which is really worth it.

References:

[1] "Pressure Mountain will really "grow your head overnight"? 2020 Scientific Discoveries Are Coming". The whole people are true-Tencent News. 2021-01-15

[2] "7 types of people are prone to grow gray hair early, and the gray hair in different positions is improved in this way". Life Times. 2022-05-28

[3] "Pressure makes people "white-headed" is true, but as long as you are young, it is possible to turn white hair into black hair! 》.China Biotechnology Network. 2021-06-23

Reproduction is prohibited without the author's permission