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Premature grey hair: causes and when to get tested

Grey hair in your teens or twenties is usually inherited. Occasionally it points to a deficiency or thyroid problem worth checking.

Common causes

  • 01Genetics and family history, the biggest factor
  • 02Smoking (linked to earlier greying)
  • 03Vitamin B12 deficiency
  • 04Thyroid disorders
  • 05Stress may play a role (mostly shown in animal research)

What a doctor may check

Only if you have other symptoms: vitamin B12 and thyroid (TSH).

When to see a doctor

Greying itself is harmless. Get checked if it comes with tiredness, pins and needles, or other symptoms.

This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Venva's content is written against clinical guidelines and systematic reviews, listed below. See our medical disclaimer.

References

  1. 1.Vitamin B12 deficiency. Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 2017.doi:10.1038/nrdp.2017.40
  2. 2.Hypothyroidism. The Lancet, 2017.doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(17)30703-1

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