Premature Hair Graying and Its Associated Factors Among Medical Students and Resident Physicians at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
May 2025
in “
Healthcare
”
TLDR Premature hair graying is common and linked to stress, obesity, vitamin deficiencies, family history, lack of exercise, smoking, and allergies.
The study at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University involving 2,644 students and resident physicians found that premature hair graying (PHG) was prevalent in 39.1% of participants, with significant associations to factors such as obesity, vitamin B12 and D deficiencies, family history, lack of exercise, smoking, and allergic rhinitis. High stress levels were notably linked to earlier onset of gray hair, with 95% experiencing PHG before age 25 under high stress. No significant difference in PHG was observed between medical and non-medical students. The study calls for further research on PHG in the Middle East and potential treatments for hair repigmentation.
