Demystifying Hairfall & Greying of Hair

"Aee Takluu " .. "Aye Ganjey"  or "Aee Budddhey"   is one of the first innocent insults that a kid in India learns and the same becomes a leading cause of fear and anxiety when one gets into their teens and sees Grey hair or hair strands stuck between their fingers while styling their hair... The insults Takloo.. Buddheey only echo louder and seem tangible this time.. 

Some other insults to describe Balding Pattern include " Aaaju Baaju mein Jhaalar ..beech mein Dollar" or " dekh uske sir pe aaj Chaand niklaay" etc.  

Also, Premature Greying & Hairfall is a bigger concern to our Parents in India , as they get worried about finding an apt Bride/Groom if their Son/Daughter starts showing signs of going Bald or Greying in their early or Late 20s.

Even today people talk to me with protruding eyeballs , in a tone as if they've seen a Ghost on my head pointing out the fact that my Hair has already greyed quite a lot and what could possibly be the cause of this..May be some Saadhu Baba has done Black Magic... or should i say Grey Magic on my Hair ..

I calmly reply ." Yeh hamarey Pitaji ki dane hai .. aur humey bohot pasand hai.. Aap kripaya mere liye tension na len.. nahi to aapke baal bhi safed pad jayengey" . Yes.. My hair really started greying at 18.. but I was never ashamed or bothered about it.. (Chicks Dig the Salt & Pepper look btw ) 

My Barber once told me "Aap bohot zyaada sochte ho to magaj mein Paani zyaada ho gaya hai aapkey.. to baal white ho gaye aapkey" .. Amusing indeed!

So let's go beyond Water in the Magaj, Sadhu Baba's Grey Magic & Let's Demystify Hairfall & Hair Greying. 

For All the Geeks & Science freaks, First Let's look at process of Hair & Natural Hair Colour Formation: 

Initially, hair is white. It gets its natural color from a type of pigment called melanin. The formation of melanin begins before birth. The natural color of our hair depends upon the distribution, type and amount of melanin in the middle layer of the hair shaft or cortex.

Hair has only two types of pigments: dark (eumelanin) and light (phaeomelanin). They blend together to make up the wide range of hair colors.

Melanin is made up of specialized pigment cells called melanocytes. They position themselves at the openings on the skin’s surface through which hair grows (follicles). Each hair grows from a single follicle.

As the hair is being formed, melanocytes inject pigment (melanin) into cells containing keratin. Keratin is the protein that makes up our hair, skin, and nails. Throughout the years, melanocyctes continue to inject pigment into the hair’s keratin, giving it a colorful hue.

With age comes a reduction of melanin. The hair turns gray and eventually white.

Fact: The age at which you'll see your first Grey hair is mainly determined by your Genes.
You will mostly see your first grey hair around the same time that your parents saw it in their lives. Now if that's at 18 , you know whom to Blame for this.

Mom: Nobody will marry a guy/girl with a head full of grey hair

You:  Mom/Dad/Dadaji/Dadimaa .. it's all your fault!!!  Don't blame me.

Intrinsic Factors that affect Greying & Hairloss: 

• Genetics
• Hormones
• Age

Fact" You can't do much to reverse the changes that intrinsic factors have on your hair greying or falling off

Extrinsic Factors that affect Greying & Hairloss: 

• Climate 
• Pollutants
• Toxins
• Chemical Exposure

Fact & Good News: You have full control over the extrinsic factors that affect hair greying & hairloss. There's lots you can do to significantly slow down the process.

Bottomline & the things you can do to help reduce the rate of Hairfall & Greying: 

1. Greying has nothing to do with any Disease or any other severe condition in most cases
2. Greying is mainly hereditary 
3. Smoking is known to increase the rate of greying & hairloss
4. Start eating more of Real Food (Fruits, Vegetables, Roti, Subzi, Dal Rice)  & less of Food like substances i.e. McDonals, KFC, Sugary Food, Processed Foods etc. 
5. Biotin, a water soluble vitamin of the B complex, encourages hair and scalp health.  Dietary sources of biotin include nuts, brown rice and oats.
6. Walnuts are a rich source of Good Fats & Biotin , both of which help in reducing the rate of hairfall
7. Spinach:  The iron, beta carotene, folate, and vitamin C in spinach help keep hair follicles healthy and scalp oils circulating.
8. Iron is also essential for hair growth and can be found in  green leafy vegetables, leeks, cashews, dried fruits, figs, and berries.  To help your body absorb iron, you’ll need enough vitamin C.
9. Carrots are rich in beta carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A. When it comes to your hair, vitamin A helps produce scalp-sustaining oils, according to WebMD.
10. Exercise: It increses circulation of nutrients & promotes regeneration of Better & Stronger fresh & new Cells in our Body

And here's a tip for all the Guys: 

If you've started Balding  or are already Bald, you sure as hell start working on your Body& become Vin Diesel!!
Below pic for your reference!