Grey hair in children

[sherrardk]

Today I noticed my four year old son had a grey hair (he has had one before). He is very dark and this grey hair is virtually white and a bit frizzy. Is there anything to worry about (some sort of dietary deficiency) or is it just one of those things? Thanks.

[firewatch]

ooh i would like to know too!!

[grasscarp]

I have always had little to no grey hairs and am into my sixties. I eat a lot of shellfish. I read that zinc intake is related to hair colour and lack of zinc can lead to grey hair, and even more interestingly taking zinc can restore hair colour.

Zinc

In laboratory tests animals fed with a zinc supplement showed signs of more hair growth, as opposed to loss of hair in animals that were deprived of zinc in their feed. It was discovered that there was a change in the hair protein structure when zinc was deficient in the diet.
Severe zinc deficiency in humans has been shown to produce baldness and scalp problems that were reversed when zinc was returned to the diet.


Zinc has also been shown to stop hair turning grey. One doctor taking zinc for a year reversed the grey hairs which returned to their original colour.

Zinc can be depleted by high stress levels. For a good source of zinc, wheat germ is the best, other sources are brewer's yeast, pumpkin seeds, oysters and mussels, shrimps and egg yolks.

[scrummyyummy]

My daughter is 15 and I've recently found about 6 white hairs!! I don't know how long she's had them but I think it's a shame her hair is turning white already. She has dark hair so it's very noticeable. It's not even grey, it's just white so it stands out. Do you have early grey hair in your family? My husband's side of the family have early grey hair and my husband was grey at an early age, so unfortunately, I think it might be genetic.

[grasscarp]

I am sure that when we start to go grey is related to genes, but I remember my mother giving vitamin tablets called Gevral to her father back in the sixties and his white hair got colour back in it, so it is possible for it to be regained.

[sherrardk]

My husband started going grey in his late teens, but the boy is only four. I have checked the list of foods containing zinc and he eats lots on the list (don't think he is ready for oysters just yet). Will do some more zinc-related research and keep checking the boy's head for more grey hairs.

[woofgang]

I know two unrelated people who went prematurely grey, no health or emotional issue, they just did. One was completely white by her 13th birthday, and the other was grey when I met him when he was 18 and was white by the time he was 30. In both cases the medics said nothing to worry about or be done, it just happens to some people.

[woofgang]

TBH I wouldn't worry about continually checking his head, the last thing you want him to do is feel odd or be worried.

[sherrardk]

Woofgang - am constantly checking all or their heads for flipping nits so he is used to it!

[woofgang]

lol yuck!

[rockyracoon]

My 13 year old son has a patch of grey on the top of his head, he's had it for years. My hairdresser friend said in all likelihood there is a small birthmark or mole type thing that has corrupted the root, I did find a very faint pinkish mark where the grey is, it seems to be fading with age although the grey is staying, obviously. It doesn't bother him, he likes being different from the crowd fortunately, if it gets any greyer, it'll look like he belongs to the Mallens!

[woofgang]

Oh rocky, showing your age!

[B00]

The Mallen Streak!

[droopdrawers]

My hair was very dark when I was younger and clearly recall my Mother pulling out the odd grey hair from a young age. I believe its genetic as her hair was as dark as mine with the odd grey hair all through my growing up years.

My husband is virtually bald yet took Brewers Yeast tablets for 20 years. Not one extra hair grew on his head.

I wouldn't worry too much sherrardk.

DD

[rowanwitch]

Two schoolfriends were prematurely grey... pepper and salt by about 13 it shows more on dark hair If it is just one or two and they are not too close together pluck them

[rockyracoon]

Lol I was only a young'un when it was on Woolfy, I remember my mum watching it.

[sherrardk]

I don't mind what colour his hair is, just wanted to find out if anyone knew if it was health or diet related. Thanks for all of your answers.

[FredPuli43]

Sounds genetic, if it becomes more than the odd hair. Indira Gandhi had a noticeable white quiff in her black hair, which could surely only have been genetic and not the result of localised trauma.

[Smowball]

My hairdresser says there is no such thing as grey hair - they arent really grey?

[woofgang]

Your hairdresser is right. A head of hair looks grey because it is a mixture of pigmented (dark) and un pigmented (white) hairs BUT environmental circs or perhaps the remnants of hair dye will make the white hairs not white...so your hairdresser is sort of right.....

[MissCommando]

My daughter has long dark blonde hair. Last week I noticed that she's got a patch on both sides or around no more than 15 bright orange/red hairs. I keep making her sit down now so I can look at her ginger hairs lol. She's 5 so I don't know how I've never seen these hairs until recently and I am going to watch with interest if she develops anymore. They are so bright in the sunlight.
Sorry not answering your question but it just reminded me of my daughter. Just one of those things I guess.