Persons most commonly affected: Below the age of 20 and both sexes.

Organ or part of body involved: Hair

Causes and risk factors: Mainly due to the lack of vitamin B, iron, copper and iodine in the daily diet. Excessive intake of tea, coffee, alcohol, meat, fried, oily, greasy, spicy, sour, and acidic foods. Mental worries produce an extraordinary tension in the skin of the scalp which interferes with the supply of vital nutrition necessary for the health of the hair. Similarly anxiety, fear, jealousiness and failures have adverse effects on the hair. Other causes of premature graying of hair are an unclean condition of the scalp which weakens the roots of the hair as the pores are blocked by the collected dirt, washing the hair with hot water and drying them with electric dryers which emit a blast of hot air, the use of hair-dyes in earlier stages when the hair have just started graying. Some diseases like chronic cold, sinusitis, anaemia, chronic constipation predispose to graying. The chemicals and perfumes used for the preparation of hair-oils, shampoo and soap may have adverse effect on hair. Heredity is another predisposing factor which gives rise to this ailment. Hormonal imbalance is also to be considered.

Prevention: Your smoking eventually shows in your hair. The hair tends to grow gray much earlier than you expect. Stress is the main cause which is why premature graying can occur after traumatic situations.