Gray Hair as a Sign of Illness
The vast majority of people with gray hair have age-related graying. However, sometimes graying of the hair indicates an illness, especially if it occurs at a particularly young age. A number of illnesses may be heralded by gray hair, including:
#Vitamin B12 deficiency
#Neurofibromatosis. Also called Von Recklinghausen’s disease, this is a group of inherited diseases in which tumors grow along nerves. Developmental abnormalities may be observed, including that of skin and bones.
#Tuberous sclerosis. An unusual, inherited condition associated with benign tumors in multiple organs (including the brain, heart, kidneys, eyes, lung and skin)
#Thyroid disease
#Vitiligo A condition of unknown cause in which melanocytes are lost or destroyed perhaps because the immune system “misfires” and attacks the skin rather than an infection. If the scalp is involved, areas of white hair may develop.
#Alopecia areata. Another “autoimmune” disorder in which patches of hair may be suddenly lost, especially the pigmented hairs. This may lead to the “overnight” graying because previously present gray or white hairs suddenly become more obvious. When hair growth resumes, it may be write or gray, but normally pigmented hair may eventually return.
In addition, there is research linking premature graying of hair to a number of other health conditions such as heart disease and low bone mass (called osteopenia), a precursor of osteoporosis, although how they are connected is unclear. Cigarette smoking also has been linked to premature graying.
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