Is it Normal for a Child to Have Gray Hair?
As people age, the cells that create color in their hair follicles die off, causing gray hair. This graying usually starts in a person's 30s, but children sometimes have gray hair.
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Genetics
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Gray hairs in children may be the result of their hereditary maturation schedule. Others in the child's family will likely have had premature gray hairs if this is the case.
Vitamin B12
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Lack of vitamin B12 iis a common cause of gray hair in children. A simple blood test can determine if this vitamin deficiency is the cause of your child's gray hairs.
Anemia
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Some forms of anemia can be the cause of gray hair in children. A blood test will reveal anemia.
Thyroid
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Gray hair can be caused by hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism reduces melanocyte activity, which produces hair color.
Treatment
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See your pediatrician to check for causes of your child's gray hair. Chemical or vegetable rinses and dyes can be used to mask the graying.
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- Photo Credit "China" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: babasteve (Steve Evans) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
