Dedicated to my beloved, adult husband

A hundred years nothing can be saved ...

Let us recall the words of the heroine Irina Muraveva from the movie "Moscow does not believe in tears" - "a hundred years nothing can be saved. Here you are, all the while leading a right life, is it that? "

On the one hand, we can not say that we are not ready for this, because each of us realistically understands that every day, month and, lastly, a year that we have lived adds to us not only experience (or, as many say, "mind"), but And various age-related features associated with natural biological processes. The first (for the time being small) wrinkles, the absence of the "former" blush, "the wrong color", the absence of a turgor (or in a simple way, the tone) of the muscles ...

Over the past 20-30 years, the attitude towards old age, or speaking American (very tolerant) language - maturity has changed very much. Thanks to the crazy progress in the field of cosmetology, plastic surgery, dietology and fitness, the world literally still obsessed with youth and beauty. Few of us are now pleased or persuaded by the dogma that "all ages are beautiful" or "that one should bear years with dignity". All this we meet at best philosophically, and at worst, with fear and decadent moods. However, elegant depression - an occupation accessible only to sooooo wealthy ladies and gentlemen, we also resort to the help of cosmetologists and hairdressers.

For me, as for a modern woman and as for a professional in the Beauty Industry, it is very pleasant to observe that rejuvenation procedures have ceased to be exclusively a ladies' occupation. More and more of my clients and acquaintances of a male resort to chemical peelings, mesotherapy and even botox. And I will not even tell you about the increased sales of men's, rejuvenating cosmetics for the face and body, since any cosmetologist and salon director know more about this than me. I'm a simple hairdresser and I have to face every day the most terrible enemy of youth - SEDINA.

Gray hair, in our minds, is most vividly associated with the approach of old age and for this reason, almost always equate to tragedy. I, dare say, that the silver threads in your hair are not always a harbinger of the decline of life.

In what all the same the reason of occurrence of gray hair and whether it is possible to make so that this cup has passed us?

For the color of the hair, the pigment melanin, produced by special cells melanocytes, located in the hair bulbs. Next to melanocytes are cells of keranocytes synthesizing the protein from which the hair is "built". At a certain stage, under the action of the enzyme tyrosinase, the pigment is combined with the protein and the hair becomes colored, that is, colored. "Connection" takes place in two ways: part of the pigment is "injected" inside the protein cell, and the part is "fused" into the cell walls. Melanin is of three types: eomelanin (in some sources eumelanin), pheomelanin and trichosiderin. Trichosiderin, just is "soldered" into the walls of melanin. More often in hair it is contained in a very small amount (from 1 to 0.5%), but it is because of it that white (light) hair always has a golden hue. Eomelanin determines the depth of tone (darkness) of hair and the main color, pheomelanin is responsible for the brightness of the color and its nuance. The final color of the hair depends on which type of melanin dominates. Dark-haired people are the dominance of eomelanin, blond and red - feomelanin. The intensity of the same color, depends on the amount of pigment in the hair shaft.

The appearance of gray hair is directly associated with a decrease or complete cessation of tyrosinase production. The time of the natural beginning of this process is genetically laid, and, in the biological sense, certainly is considered a sign and a direct consequence of the aging of the organism.

Statistics argue that the Caucasians (that is, we have with you) silver hair first appear at the age of 34 years (+ 10 years), the Asians in 30-34, and most of all in this sense lucky negroid race, in which the average age of graying Is 43 years (+ 5 years). And although in dark-haired people visually the graying is more obvious, in blondes it usually begins earlier. It was also found that the beard and mustache grow gray before hair on the head and body. In women, white strands usually appear on the temples and bangs, and then on the crown and back of the head.

24 or 44?

If you think carefully, the pretty one turns out a plus! Sad at 24 or 44? Is there really no difference ?! In the overwhelming majority of cases, the age and pattern of the appearance of gray hair (in contrast to alopecia) is transmitted along the male line. So run for questions to your grandfathers and dads. But the tendency to graying is not only a hereditary (genetically determined) sign, but also a sign of any changes in the vital activity of the organism, and maybe even a result of autoimmune diseases. This issue is especially worrisome for those who have hair that begins to silver obviously prematurely. To my great regret, scientists who seemed to have thoroughly studied the human organism can not give a unanimous answer to this question.

So, let's try to sum up some results, and list the possible causes of premature graying:

1. Hereditary - genetically conditioned;

2. Acquired - not fully identified;

If "with the inheritance" everything is more or less all clear, then to blame for the other cases - it is not clear.

The first version is neuropeptides and cataclysms.  

There are cases when people sow in an exceptionally short time. Most often this was due to the strongest emotional experiences. There is a historically confirmed fact that Marie Antoinette (Queen of France, wife of Louis 17) turned gray the night before the execution (she was executed by revolutionaries led by Robespierre in 1789). Yes, there, how many similar stories, almost legends, are stored in our home stories - about gray temples in the night after reports of the death of loved ones. In the pioneer childhood, I was frightened by tales of gray-haired children who turned gray after meeting with otherworldly phenomena ...

So is it true or fiction? And both at the same time.

I will give a scientific explanation of such stories. Inside the hair there is a medullary layer (core). It is the thinnest channel through which liquid can circulate. It is suggested that the neuropeptides produced by the body under the influence of adrenaline (whose presence in the blood sharply increases during a stressful situation) come through the blood vessels to the hair bulb. Then, through the canal in the medullary layer, they penetrate into the hair shaft and break the chemical bond that connects the protein and melanin. Moreover, the "tails" of the potential chemical bond of melanin are almost "melted" and it is absolutely not able to "catch" in the hair, after which the pigment falls very quickly or is washed out of the hair.To speak science-like language, it can be neutralized by any means of treatment (balm or shampoo) : In itself, in an unrelated form, it does not last long in the hair.

So, of course, to turn gray "for the night" - this is certainly unlikely, but for 30-40 hours is very real. If, however, a little abstraction from the momentary process, then the above version is the most reasonable version of the appearance of gray hair, in principle.

The second version is the voids and rays of Venus.

There is one more, though less scientific, and therefore, somewhat surprising for me, version of the appearance of gray hair. According to her, airy voids appear in the structure of the hair under the influence of certain (apparently astral) factors. In this case, the ray reflected from the Sun (or Venus) falling into the void, refracts distorted, and as a consequence, we see the hair color as gray ...

Or so!

Version three - diet and immunity.

As I said above, it also happens that the appearance of early or sudden gray hair can be a signal about the presence of a specific autoimmune disease (for example: anemia, thyroid diseases or oncology). It can also speak of a decrease in the enzymatic activity of the organism, that is, a lack of certain trace elements that make up the pigment. Then the pigment simply ceases to hold in the hair or does not form at all. In such cases, if the disease is detected and not started, it is possible to regain its natural color, although cases of "recovery" of this kind are extremely rare. I believe that in this case it is worth talking about the need for a certain prevention of the appearance of early gray hair. I understand perfectly well that it is practically impossible to foresee this, but something is still in our power. It is only necessary to make certain efforts. First of all, prevention of early graying, as it does not sound trite, should be a full-fledged protein diet and a sufficient amount of iron and zinc in the body.

Gray hair and cellulite - nothing in common?

The British medical journal published a list of 174 contrived (fashionable) diseases. In their number, and got gray, took its 56th place, next to cellulite, freckles and alopecia. It's funny to you? I do not, because the specialists of my business gloriously earn on the struggle with these "terrible ailments".

Today, in the market of men's cosmetics, special dyes, talc, powders, lapping and more are developed for the strong half of mankind, and God knows what remedies help to hide the appearance of gray hair. But this is not enough, there were special dyes for the beard, mustache and whiskers. All this is in great demand, since they give, above all, spiritual comfort. I, personally, are opposed to such procedures, since there is nothing more ridiculous than the grown gray roots of a man in a good (even sports) suit. The rest of the funds cease to "work" as soon as you finish using them. And in other ...

In my practice, both professional and everyday, I often encountered young and not very men whose whiskey is powdered with gray hair. In my opinion, in combination with a young face, this story looks like the story of an experienced "samurai" whose life is imbued with meaning, deed and mystery. It is not rare for such men to attribute to women of all sorts of virtues (always only positive ones), and sometimes even clothe him in the halo of a romantic hero - a sufferer who has experienced great emotional upheavals. I will say more, I have two clients who, despite young years, occupy quite serious posts. So they ask me to imitate myself gray hair on the visor - to give solidity and weight ... Maybe it's time for us to get rid of stereotypes, that the gray-haired person is always old, not energetic, and therefore less promising? Maybe it's worth thinking about and admit that with age, not only gastritis, arthritis and prostatitis come, but also wisdom, tolerance, contemplation? This means that the philosophical principle, sensuality built on experience, steadiness and spiritual nobility wakes up ... It is not for nothing that in the east it is the second half of life that is considered to be the "beautiful time of life".

Well, if the years have nevertheless colored your head with ashes, turn your face to the east: maybe indeed, silver in your hair is not the punishment of the Lord, but a trace of wisdom. And in general - "gray hair in a beard," not necessarily a "devil in the rib" ...