TLDR Many young medical students have early grey hair, especially males, often linked to family history.
The study investigated the prevalence of early canities, or premature greying of hair, among 235 undergraduate medical students under 25 years old. It found that 40.42% of the students had early canities, with grade I being the most common form, affecting 83.15% of those with the condition. Males were more affected, and a positive family history was noted in 43.15% of cases. The prevalence was lower compared to other studies in similar settings.
January 2020 in “Sumatera Medical Journal” Family history and stress are linked to early hair graying, with family history being the main factor.
16 citations
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January 2017 in “DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals)” Low levels of vitamin B12 and ferritin are linked to early hair graying.
46 citations
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December 2014 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Premature hair graying in young men is linked to family history, obesity, and smoking.
35 citations
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January 2013 in “International Journal of Trichology” Kids with early graying hair often have low levels of calcium, ferritin, and vitamin D3.
47 citations
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January 2013 in “Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology” Premature graying of hair may suggest health issues and currently lacks effective treatments.
38 citations
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February 2002 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement” Two patients with porphyria cutanea tarda experienced their grey hair turning dark again.
Premature hair graying is common and linked to stress, obesity, vitamin deficiencies, family history, lack of exercise, smoking, and allergies.
1 citations
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February 2021 in “International Journal of Research in Dermatology” Premature graying of hair significantly harms psychological and social wellbeing.
June 2025 in “Clinical Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology” Gray hair can potentially be managed or reversed with treatments that boost melanin production and address nutritional deficiencies.
3 citations
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May 2022 in “Indian Journal of Dermatology” Low ferritin and high Anti TPO levels are linked to early hair greying.
7 citations
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June 2020 in “Experimental dermatology” Researchers found that certain lipids, especially vitamin D3, are lower in prematurely grey hair than in pigmented hair.
