My hairs graying before time

Dear Ask The Doctor: I started having grey hairs by age of 24. Since then the number of grey hairs is increasing and so i have been using hair color to cover up my grays. Couldd you please help me find a solution to stop or reverse my grays. Thank you.

Dear Rukmani: Hair gets its color due to a pigment called melanin which is produced by the body. As people continue to get older, the number of pigment cells around to produce melanin will actually be reduced. Eventually, these cells will be so depleted, the hair will look completely gray. Researchers have shown that gender plays a role in graying. The average male starts to gray around age 30, while women typically began to notice lighter strands around age 35. In some families, many members develop white hair in their 20s. Sometimes, the arrival of gray hair can be a sign of an underlying health problem. Vitamin B12 deficiency is associated with decreased melanin production thus leading to greying of the hair. There is no definite cure or reversal of greying of hair. I hope that answers your question, take care.