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Premature hair greying
Can you tell me why some people go grey prematurely? My own hair went grey in my 20s and now my 20-year-old daughter has a few grey hairs too. Is there anything she can take to stop this process?
I am not aware of any supplement that can halt this process although there are reports of how a nutrient called Para-aminobenzoic Acid (PABA), which is not an essential nutrient in humans, has helped to darken grey hair - but only in older people.
The theory is that greying hair may reflect a deficiency in this nutrient, which is often linked with the B vitamins. In the study that caused all the excitement, volunteers took between 200 and 600mg of PABA - which is found naturally in grains, mushrooms, liver, and spinach - for several months. Since the results of this trial carried out in 1997 have not yet been repeated, the evidence remains weak. What PABA does do is protect skin from sunburn caused by UVB radiation, which is why you might recognise its name from protective sun creams.
If you want to cover grey hair, then check out the natural colourants at your local health store. Tints of Nature is a good brand but does contains some ammonia. Herbatint is ammonia-free and provides over 30 different colours which use herbal extracts, including rosemary, cinchona, and walnut husk to fix the colour. A permanent colourant gel which covers white and grey hair without damaging the structure of the hair, it is available from most good health stores.
* Herbatint can be contacted by phoning 0800-594 7706, visiting their site www.herbatint.co.uk, or sending an email to info@organic-colour.co.uk.