8 Things Your Hair Says About Your Health [#7 Can Cause Weak Hair]

8-Early gray hair

We associate gray hair with aging, but gray hair can arrive sooner than expected as a result of stress. Whether the legend of Marie Antoinette’s hair turning white the night before she was put to the guillotine is true or not, stress does seem to play a role in speeding up the graying process. A 2013 study published in Nature Magazine suggests that hormones produced in response to stress can deplete the melanocyte stem cells that determine hair color.

Sometimes, early graying indicates other health problems. Vitiligo, for example, is a condition where the immune system falsely identifies melanocyte cells as hostile and attacks them. Vitamin B12 deficiency is also known to cause graying hair. Foods rich in vitamin B12 include shellfish, liver, salmon, and yogurt.

8 Things Your Hair Says About Your Health [#7 Can Cause Weak Hair]