Does anyone have premature grey hairs? - Pernicious Anaemi...

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Does anyone have premature grey hairs?

LauraF1 profile image
22 Replies

Hey guys, so basically I've had premature grey hairs since I was a teenager, and they're in weird places too, like my eyelashes. Has anyone else had this happen? I thought it was just genetic since my dad and brother went grey very early, like myself. However, since I've got my last injection I've noticed that some of my greys are starting to grow back black! It's so strange, and I'm not sure if this is related to the increased b12 or if I'm just a freak of nature!

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LauraF1
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22 Replies
fbirder profile image
fbirder

I got my first grey hair at 19. My girlfriend spotted it and asked if she should pull it out. My reply was "You put it there, so I guess you should get it out." wasn't appreciated.

Ritchie1268 profile image
Ritchie1268 in reply tofbirder

The first grey hair I pulled out, it game back & brought loads of its mates with it!

Nackapan profile image
Nackapan

I've no idea . I know hair loss stops with b12 treatment. How wonderful.

Gambit62 profile image
Gambit62Administrator

generally grey hair doesn't reverse - not something I have come across.

there is a higher incidence of premature greying in people with PA but that is a correlation rather than a causal link so probably a sign of a commonality of genes.

I do notice non-grey hairs better when hair is wet/damp - just in case that marries with the conditions in which you are noticing the 're-coloured' hair.

LauraF1 profile image
LauraF1 in reply toGambit62

I have noticed a few grey hairs where at the root it's now growing out as black. I don't have a lot of grey hair just scattered. It's very odd.

Gambit62 profile image
Gambit62Administrator in reply toLauraF1

very odd

palmier profile image
palmier

Here's a case study from 1986 about a person with pernicious anemia whose grey hair reversed to normal after treatment with b12:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/3...

Perhaps it's unusual, but not unheard of.

LauraF1 profile image
LauraF1 in reply topalmier

A couple of people who've replied have also experienced it, maybe they should do a study on us! I wish it was all my greys going back to original colour though, not just the few. The eyelash is so annoying, I keep plucking it out and it insists on coming back.

th3joker profile image
th3joker

I went grey very young but still have my hair, it’s almost white and I’m 46 now. Was pretty much halfway there in my twenties. No reversal from injecting over the past two years.

Buttercup1283 profile image
Buttercup1283

I started getting white eyelashes and eyebrow hairs. I tried to dye my eyelashes but it doesn’t actually cover the white ones too well. I don’t really notice my hair as I’m blonde but the rest I couldn’t help but notice. I’m 36 and I noticed it last year. I only recently discovered my low b12 and since looking through my medical notes found various neurological things that was diagnosed over the years but never knew about. Had 9 b12 injections so far as self inject as the doctors here all waiting on another to deal with it so in the end I sorted myself.

LauraF1 profile image
LauraF1 in reply toButtercup1283

I hope you experience some positive changes with the injections. I'm not able to inject myself as I can't get a prescription for the needles. Sigh.

Buttercup1283 profile image
Buttercup1283 in reply toLauraF1

I get the needles and b12 online as the doctors arnt very helpful. I’m not keeping to schedule with the injections as I’m chasing myself around the house with the needle ha ha. I’m a big wimp so It takes all week to build up the courage. My gray lashes and eyebrows will probably need to fall out before new dark hairs grow through so not much of a change so far

Davies06 profile image
Davies06

Hi yes I’ve had grey hairs since being teenager , I am 39 now and have to dye my hair every 6 weeks as I am so grey . Don’t find that b12 injections help with the colour of my hair but it doesn’t fall out as much now . I do get bald patches on my eyebrows that firm perfect round patches ? Does anyone else get this ... also suffer with terrible night sweats .

flosslechops profile image
flosslechops in reply toDavies06

you need to talk to your gp about night sweats-may conditions cause them but don't let them tell you its early menopause until everything else has been ruled out!

Davies06 profile image
Davies06 in reply toflosslechops

Gp sent me for blood test a while back results came back that it was not early menopause but he said it didn’t rule out that it’s not menopause because it hard to diagnose ? Waking up more often now with sweats feel exhausted in the mornings as if I’ve done a gym session will have to make another appointment with my GP . Thank you for your reply flosslechops

flosslechops profile image
flosslechops in reply toDavies06

I was thinking thyroid with losing hair in eyebrows-but this would be in blood test -hope you get an answer-night sweats are awful

flosslechops profile image
flosslechops

my hair went white in my forties,since starting b12 injections in 2018 a lot of colour has come back but its more a dark blonde than the mid brown it was which is better as the few greys that are left aren't as obvious

LauraF1 profile image
LauraF1 in reply toflosslechops

Excited to hear other people have experienced this too. So far only a few greys are going back to the natural colour, but I live in hope they'll all follow suit!

PaintLadie profile image
PaintLadie

This happens to me too. I had many graying hairs at age 11. I stopped going to the salon because they always made such a big deal about it. Mine turn brown again also. To bad I have more brown ones going gray than gray ones going back to brown.

Orangecow profile image
Orangecow

My hair was noticeably graying at age 12. I was nearly totally gray by 35. It is reversing for me as well. Most noticeably I no longer have any white hairs in my eyebrows. I let my roots grow out so we could see how much went back to my natural color and it was a very noticeable amount.

I have been told by a doctor that gray hair caused by B12 deficiency is the only type that can be reversed. But it doesn't always happen.

LauraF1 profile image
LauraF1 in reply toOrangecow

That's crazy, but in a good way! I'm a bit sad that it's not all my greys going magically back to dark brown, but hey I guess it's better than nothing. Maybe the longer I'm on the b12 the better it'll get. How often do you get injections? I'm on every 3 months at the moment.

Showgem profile image
Showgem

I know this is an old post but came across it when searching the internet as I’ve been experiencing the same thing. I have been completely white for many years but now some of my hair is growing darker and I’ve been wondering why. I was extremely deficient in b12 and diagnosed with PA nearly 2 years ago.

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