Gray hair, which makes use of gray hair in style, is also a trend, but it seems that many people want to go back to black hair if they can. Even if it’s impossible to turn it back suddenly, there must be a way to make the hair that grows back black. So this time, I tried to find out if there is a way to return gray hair to black hair.
Table of contents
- Supervisor profile: Satoko Hamanaka
- What causes gray hair?
- What are the care methods and measures to prevent gray hair and improve the internal environment?
- What are NG habits that cause gray hair?
- What foods and ingredients prevent gray hair and improve the internal environment?
- What foods/ingredients are bad for gray hair?
- Editorial department recommendation! Self-care products that prevent gray hair and improve the scalp environment
Supervisor profile: Satoko Hamanaka
Director of Creage Tokyo Aging Care Clinic . As a leading expert in women’s hair treatment who has been involved in women’s hair troubles for 14 years, at “Creage Tokyo Aging Care Clinic”, we provide medical care so that you can spend a fulfilling and healthy life both mentally and physically. We provide face to face support.
What causes gray hair?
To get rid of gray hairs , first you need to know the cause of gray hairs . You may be able to grow black hair by removing the cause of gray hair.
Poor nutrition due to poor blood circulation
In fact, the root of the hair made by the hair root is “white”. The cells called melanocytes in the hair follicles produce melanin, which turns the hair black. Enzymes and nutrients such as calcium are required to produce the melanin pigment that becomes black hair.
However, if blood flow is poor, the necessary nutrients cannot reach the hair roots. As a result, the melanin pigment is not produced and the hair grows white, resulting in gray hair.
Also, the functional decline of internal organs such as kidneys invites gray hair. The kidneys have the function of filtering the blood, and when the function of the kidneys slows down, the blood remains dirty, making it difficult for nutrients to be transported.
Does stress make your hair gray?
It has long been said that working hard will increase the number of gray hairs, but it is true that a lot of stress tends to cause gray hairs. This is because stress generates a large amount of active oxygen.
Active oxygen has the role of removing viruses and bacteria, and is necessary for humans. However, when a large amount of active oxygen is generated, it attacks even normal cells. Active oxygen attacks the cells of the hair root, and the hair turns gray without producing pigment.
Active oxygen is also generated by drinking and smoking. In particular, nicotine contained in cigarettes constricts blood vessels and causes poor blood circulation when it enters the body.
decrease in female hormones
One of the female hormones, estrogen, has the ability to promote hair growth. However, when female hormones decrease with age, blood circulation deteriorates and hair growth stagnate, causing gray hair.
What are the care methods and measures to prevent gray hair and improve the internal environment?
To prevent gray hairs, start by reviewing your daily habits. Let’s check what kind of actions are OK or NG, and improve the internal environment from familiar places.
OK: remove chlorine in the shower
Changing your shower head to remove chlorine is good for your hair and scalp. Tap water is disinfected with chlorine at a water treatment plant. A small amount of the chlorine remains even when it comes out of the tap.
Of course, the water quality is safe for the human body, but if you wash your hair on a daily basis for many years, residual chlorine will stick to it, damaging your hair and scalp and causing gray hair.
OK: Dry your hair with a hair dryer
It is also important to dry your hair properly with a hairdryer. You might think that hair dryers are not good for your hair because they blow hot air onto your hair and scalp. Certainly, if you keep applying it for a long time, it will dry up to the scalp, so it is not good.
However, if you let your hair dry naturally while it is still wet, it will cause more damage to your hair. If you leave your hair wet for a long time, the cuticle will remain open, damaging the melanin pigment and making it easier to lose color.
Also, since the roots are difficult to dry, bacteria can grow and cause odor and itchiness. Move the dryer a little away from your hair and increase the airflow, blowing air from the top to the bottom of your hair. If you apply cold air to finish, you can prepare the cuticle.
OK: get a good night’s sleep
Lack of sleep causes a decline in metabolism and increases the risk of gray hair. Get a good night’s sleep to regulate your autonomic nervous system and stimulate growth hormone secretion.
Growth hormone is responsible for making new cells throughout the body. It is also related to the rebirth of hair and scalp cells, so if the amount of growth hormone secreted is high, you can expect to improve the promotion of hair growth.
What are NG habits that cause gray hair?
On the other hand, the actions that you do casually in your daily life can also cause gray hair. Reduce NG habits as much as possible and support the health of your hair.
NG: pull out gray hair
It is often said that “plucking out gray hairs increases the number of hairs”, but that doesn’t mean that it is good to pull out gray hairs. This is superstition. This is because pulling out gray hairs forcibly can damage the hair roots and the healthy hair around them.
Since 2 to 3 hairs grow from each pore on the scalp, if you force yourself to pull them out, healthy hairs may fall out as well. In addition, pulling out gray hairs forcibly disrupts the hair growth cycle and may prevent new hair from growing from the removed pores.
NG: Long exposure to UV rays, exhaust gas, etc.
It also tans your hair. When a large amount of ultraviolet rays hits the hair, the melanin pigment inside the hair is destroyed. Does your hair get a little brown when exposed to UV rays all day long in the middle of summer? This is because the melanin pigment is destroyed by UV rays.
In addition, the stimulation caused by air pollution such as exhaust gas and PM2.5 also has a bad effect on hair. Contaminants can also cause inflammation near your pores if you don’t wash them off in the shower. Wear a hat when you go out and wash your hair regularly.
NG: Give strong friction
The cuticle protects the hair, but the cuticle is said to be vulnerable to friction. Brushing too hard or towel-drying too vigorously can damage the cuticle.
Both brushing and towel-drying are necessary to keep your hair clean, but do it gently so as not to give too much friction.
NG: Repeat hair color and perm
Hair coloring and perming damage your hair. Hydrogen peroxide is used in perms and coloring agents. Hydrogen peroxide causes a decrease in the enzyme that makes melanin pigment.
There are chemicals that do not use hydrogen peroxide, but coloring and perming themselves are acts that damage your hair. If you dye or perm your hair frequently, it will cause gray hair, so it is recommended to leave an interval of about 2 months.
What foods and ingredients prevent gray hair and improve the internal environment?
Your body, including your hair, is made up of what you eat. What kind of nutrition should I take to keep black hair?
black food
Black sesame is one of the ingredients that are said to be good for hair. Black sesame contains many ingredients that are good for hair, such as vitamin B2, which is involved in metabolism, vitamin E, which improves blood flow, sesame lignans, which act as antioxidants, and sesamin.
In addition, the black skin of black sesame contains anthocyanins and polyphenols. Anthocyanin is also contained in blueberries, black beans, purple cabbage, black fungus, etc., and has a function to help melanin pigment.
Seaweed such as wakame, hijiki, and seaweed are also said to be good for hair. Seaweed contains many nutrients necessary for healthy hair and scalp, such as B vitamins, minerals, and iodine.
meat, fish and eggs
Hair is made from a protein called keratin. Therefore, it is important to take soy products such as soy milk, and high-quality proteins such as chicken and eggs.
Blue fish such as sardines and mackerel are recommended. It contains a lot of EPA and DHA, which are unsaturated fatty acids, and makes the blood smooth. It improves blood circulation and nourishes your hair.
Oysters and freshwater clams
Zinc, which is abundant in oysters and other foods, helps the protein that forms hair. Zinc also has the effect of activating the function of melanocytes and decomposing hydrogen peroxide. In addition to shellfish, nuts and liver contain a lot.
cheese
The melanin pigment that darkens hair is produced by the metabolism of the amino acid tyrosine by the enzyme tyrosinase. Cheese is a food that contains a lot of tyrosine, which is the “raw material of color”. Tyrosine is also found in avocados, bananas, bonito, cod roe, and natto.
What foods/ingredients are bad for gray hair?
If there are foods that are good for your hair, there are also foods that are bad for your hair. You may be eating too much without knowing what’s not good for your hair. Let’s review your eating habits to grow healthy black hair.
trans fatty acid
Margarine contains a lot of fats called trans fats. Trans fatty acids increase the bad cholesterol in the blood, increase the viscosity of the blood, and make the blood stream mush.
In addition to margarine, trans fats are found in fried foods such as shortening, mayonnaise, and potato chips. It would be nice to devise a method such as using butter instead of margarine.
sweets and sweet drinks
If you eat too many sweets, sugary drinks, or noodles with high sugar content, your scalp will produce excess sebum. Excess sebum breeds bacteria.
Also, by taking a lot of sugar at once, the blood sugar level will fluctuate and damage the blood vessels. Damaged blood vessels increase in thickness as they are repaired, and as a result, there is a risk that blood flow will deteriorate.
processed food
Processed foods such as ham and sausages, frozen foods, cup noodles, and retort foods contain a lot of salt and sugar. Food additives such as preservatives and chemical seasonings also generate active oxygen, which can cause gray hair.
Food additives are detoxified by ingredients in saliva, so when eating food containing additives, chew well.
While it is impossible to “turn” gray hair back to black, it is still possible to turn new hair back to black.
Our bodies are made up of what we eat every day, so remember that “black food” is necessary for hair growth and hair growth, and try to take care of yourself to slow down the progress of gray hairs and not increase gray hairs from your diet.
Editorial department recommendation! Self-care products that prevent gray hair and improve the scalp environment
Daily hair care is important to suppress gray hair even a little. Hair care includes care from the outside when washing the hair and care from the inside as nourishment. From here, we will introduce products that are perfect for hair self-care recommended by the editorial department.
Angfa “Scalp D Beaute Medicated Scalp Moisturizing Essence 50mL”
Japan’s first scalp serum containing Rice Power (R) No. 11, which has been recognized for the first time in Japan to improve the moisture retention function of the scalp.
Replenishes moisture from the surface of the skin and increases the production of ceramide to retain moisture.
It protects the scalp, which tends to be damaged by UV rays, dryness, and hair coloring, and also suppresses dandruff and itchiness.
Momento no Shizuku “Scalp Care Shampoo Sensitive Skin 300mL”
Momento no Shizuku “Scalp Care Shampoo” is a scalp care shampoo developed by a popular head spa specialty store in Tokyo. Composed of ingredients that can be applied directly to the scalp, it balances the moisture and oil content of the scalp and nurtures beautiful and healthy hair.
The cleansing ingredients are gentle not only on the scalp but also on the hands, and are weakly acidic with no unnecessary conditioning agents. It lathers softly and leaves you feeling refreshed after washing, and cleanly removes odors, itchiness, and stickiness from the scalp.
Bosley “Black Plus Shampoo 360mL”
The dense lather protects the moisture while thoroughly removing dirt from the scalp and hair. Formulated with carefully selected ingredients derived from nature such as royal jelly, it nurtures healthy hair with firmness and elasticity.
Dear Natura “Black Sesamin 60 Grains (30 Days Supply)”
Dear-Natura’s “Black Sesamin” provides 25 mg of sesamin and zinc in just two capsules a day. In addition, there are plenty of nutrients necessary for hair, such as vitamin E and selenium. It is made in a domestic factory with a focus on quality, and no preservatives are added. Safe to take daily.
Black gloss Senka “Black gloss Senka 30 days worth”
“Kuroyatsu Senka 30 Days” is a luxurious blend of ingredients necessary for black hair under the supervision of a registered dietitian. There are many ingredients that make your hair healthy, such as sesamin, biotin, amino acids, and seaweed minerals.
It’s hard to keep eating black sesame every day, but with this, just take two grains every day. By firmly taking nutrition from the inside, it leads to firm and glossy black hair.
So far, we have introduced the products recommended by the Halmek editorial department. Please use it for your daily hair care.
