Gray Hair Epidemic: 200% Boost in Premature Greying in Females Less than 30

For females, going gray is normally related to old age...

...So why is there suddenly an epidemic of young ladies in their 20s starting to go gray?

According to a John Frieda analysis printed by the Daily Mail , pretty much 33 percent of UK ladies below the age of 30 are starting to succumb to gray hairs - a shocking rise from just 18 percent only two decades ago. Though there have been scarce instances when young ladies start to go gray as early as in their teenage years, for scientists and researchers, this new epidemic in twenty-something females with graying hair points to some deeper understanding of why some people get a silver hue earlier than other individuals.

The Daily Mail report notes that just about two-thirds of the women in Frieda's research attributed to their gray hair on the stresses of everyday contemporary life. The haircare manufacturer was so awed by their findings that they swiftly developed an acronym to sum up one-third of British young ladies: GHOSTS - Gray Haired Over Stressed Twenty Somethings. In an interview with the Daily Mail, one GHOST revealed why she thinks stress is behind her new silver strands:

" ' Being self-employed is stressful - you never know when the next job is coming in, and when I am working there's a lot of time pressure...This last year has been busy and the amount of [gray] in my hair has progressed rapidly too...I can't help but think there's some connection between stress and [gray] hair.' "

Report author Claire Coleman notes that this gray hair epidemic is particularly worrying for women. While men who embrace the salt-and-pepper look are viewed as experienced leaders, the physical appearance of gray hair on a woman can be summed up in one word: Grandmotherly. In fact, one of our recent posts touched upon the battle young ladies regularly face with going gray in a culture that obsesses over everlasting youth.

So what exactly is stress's position in this graying hair epidemic?

When we go through greater levels of stress - say from working overtime at a new job or grappling with student loan bills - our bodies go into overtime to create far more hydrogen peroxide, which ends up accumulating in our hair follicles. This sudden accumulation of hydrogen peroxide breaks down the enzymes which are responsible for preserving our hair follicles healthy (MSRA and MSRB), which in turn brings about melanocyte death. The hydrogen peroxide is then totally free to bleach our hair follicles, leading to the silver strands that each twenty-something dreads seeing.

Although the connection among stress and gray hair isn't precisely new, the Daily Mail posting genuinely brings up interesting questions. Which include, why are twenty-something ladies in particular going gray more rapidly? Are female far more susceptible to stress? Do they search out a lot more stressful jobs throughout the prime of their 20s? Are men experiencing a equivalent epidemic of going gray?

With these concerns in mind, its vital to note that there is a light at the end of the tunnel in the form of gray hair reversal merchandise - and the solution is ideally suited for both the busy twenty-something young ladies plus the middle-aged man. Soon we can look to Grey Defence/a> to slow, stop or reverse the signs of graying hair.

Frederica Hegney is Moderator of the Grey Defence blog.

Go through our blog to determine what brings about graying hair and what targeted steps you could possibly take to slow, stop or reverse graying hair.

You are able to also follow her on twitter @GreyHairDefence