You have questions, we have answers.
Updated on July 26, 2021 @ 03:15PM
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If you've ever experienced the horrifying discovery of a single white long hair somewhere on your face such as your forehead or chin, that you swore wasn't there the day before, you're not alone.
"The reason that many of us do not notice the white hairs before they are long is because they are more close to skin color and therefore are not noticeable until they become quite long," explains dermatologist S. Manjula Jegasothy, MD, CEO and founder of Miami Skin Institute.
There's no single medical term for this phenomenon, nor is there one direct cause. Dr. Jegasothy says that a single outcropping of white hair can occur in an area that has an overall skin pigmentation issue such as vitiligo. "However, vitiligo is rather rare, so most people who experience these hairs may be experiencing them because of temporary pigmentation disruption, such as a superficial skin fungus from going to the beach," she explains.
If you've been hitting the sun and sand hard this summer, she recommends treating the area with a prescription antifungal cream for two weeks. And if the hairs cease to regain their color, make another visit to the dermatologist to rule out a larger issue like vitiligo or other pigment-related disorders.
The root of these single white hairs can also be fluctuating hormones. "Another possibility is that just like long black hair that grows on the face and neck, these white hairs are also random (genetically mutant) hair that grow during times of hormonal fluctuation in specific places, such as the chin, neck and t-zone," says Dr. Jegasothy.
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There might not be a way to prevent rogue facial hairs, but Dr. Jegasothy does have some comfort for those of us who experience the phenomenon: "Don't worry about plucking the hair out; it won't cause more to grow!"
So, reach for those tweezers.
Have you spotted a few grey hair on your eyebrows lately? Don’t shudder assuming it to be a rare problem. In fact, grey hair in eyebrows is a sign of premature ageing and must never be taken lightly. Just like one finds grey hairs on the head upon ageing, appearance of grey hair on the eyebrows is also a sign of ageing/premature ageing. While for some, these signs start showing up in the 40’s or 50’s, some folks encounter the problem of grey hair on eyebrows in their 30’s. Whether it is your stressful life or premature ageing, there is always a remedy to fight back such embarrassing problems. In this article, we will focus on how to stop the occurrence of grey hair on eyebrows. Let’s get started.
What Helps to Retain the Natural Color of Eyebrows?
Before diving deep into the remedies to stop grey hair from showing up in the eyebrows, we must learn what is actually responsible for defining the colour of brow hair in humans. If you have heard of melanin and its role in determining one’s
skin complexion, then you must also know that its role extends to defining the colour pigment of your eyebrows. Pheomelanin and Eumelanin are two colour pigments in melanin that are responsible for maintaining the original black colour of your eyebrows. Whenever there is an imbalance in the production of these two colour pigments present in melanin, it leads to premature hair greying and
whitening.
What Causes Grey Hair on Eyebrows?
There are several factors that are responsible for grey hair. The causes that trigger grey hair may vary from person to person, but they are the very reasons that are responsible for creating imbalance in the color defining pigment, melanin.
- Smoking: Smoking is one of the root causes behind developing white hair in your eyebrows. This is because cigarettes contain a chemical called nicotine which disrupts the production of colour-defining pigments in the eyebrows.
- Improper diet: Refined or processed food items are not only responsible for weight gain and obesity, they create havoc in human body in many other ways, including triggering premature ageing of skin and hair.
- Vitamin D deficiency: Our skin and bone need Vitamin D to function correctly. Vitamin D is also needed to balance out the colour hair-coloring chemicals of melanin. When you face a deficiency of Vitamin D, the production of Eumelanin which is responsible for rendering black pigment to our eyebrows drops significantly.
- Genetic factors: Sometimes, hereditary factor also causes grey hair in your eyebrows. Unfortunately, this is something we have no control over since we have inherited this feature from our ancestors.
- Ageing: Ageing or premature ageing can also manifest itself in the form of grey Premature ageing, is also said to cause grey hairs in eyebrows. As we start ageing, the volume of nutrients reaching the roots of the hairs goes down, which eventually affects their nourishment. This changes brow colour from black to grey.
- Hormonal imbalance: This particular reason is more prevalent in men than in women. Sometimes, due to certain medications, the hormone cycles in our body gets disrupted which in turn leads to grey hair on the head as well as over eyebrows.
- Wrong makeup products: Are you a makeup junkie who mostly uses low quality makeup, expired products or makeup with excessive chemicals? Then, don’t get frightened if we tell you that having grey hair in your eyebrows is not far behind.
Remedies to Treat Grey/White Eyebrow Hair:
- Increased intake of Vitamin B12: Intake of food items and fruits that contain high amounts of Vitamin B12 help to keep grey eyebrow hair at baby. In case, you already have grey hair on your eyebrows, you need to increase the intake of Vitamin B12 after consulting with your doctor. This magic remedy turns grey hair black by striking a balance between the two chemicals of melanin.
- Application of castor oil: You must have already known the benefits of castor oil for brow hair. Not only does it help to prevent premature greying, it also helps in growth of thicker eyebrows.
- Intake of Balanced Diet: Keep a track of what you eat. If you want to control the growth of grey hair, following a well-balanced diet plan that includes sufficient amount of nutritious food is of paramount importance. It performs dual benefits of controlling premature ageing as well as stopping the growth of grey hair.
- Switching to a Healthy Lifestyle: In order to balance out the problems caused by hormonal imbalances, you have to lead a healthy lifestyle. Getting ample sleep, taking enough rest, avoiding stress and anxiety together help to retain the right balance of hormones in our body, hence preventing premature greying of eyebrow hair.
- Take Sun Bath: In order to compensate Vitamin D deficiency, it is essential to expose oneself to natural sunlight every day. This is because sunlight is most powerful source of vitamin D. Adequate supply of Vitamin D will ensure that there’s no further damage. That doesn’t mean one will not need protection against sun damage. Remember to wear a good sunscreen whenever you step outside, even for a minute.
- Using masks of black tea and coffee: You can apply masks of black tea and coffee as effective eyebrow masks that can help turn grey hair to black again. Be careful while applying them. In case of any exposure to eyes, rinse out immediately.
- Vegetable dyes: This is a temporary but easy way to hide those grey hairs in your eyebrows. You can prepare your own vegetable dye or buy a good dye from the market and use it to treat grey eyebrows.
- Plucking/Tweezing: This is probably one of the easiest things to do to get rid of white eyebrow hair. All you have to do is to pick a good tweezer and pluck out grey hair. Also, applying colored brow wax and brown/black eyebrow pencil will help conceal white hair if you do not want to pluck them out.
Well, these are the most commonly advised solutions to get rid of grey hair in eyebrows. Hope you find this article useful and use it to tame your grey eyebrow woes.