Is grey hair related to Crohn's disease?

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sue2003

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Oct 30, 2014
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My hair became grey since i was 22 years. Just 2 years before i started symotoms. I always thought that i have inherited it from my father. I wonder if it is related to CD???
 
Now that you mention it, my hair did start greying since I was diagnosed with CD nine years ago...


...or does grey hair cause CD?
 
My hair started going grey a few months before my first flare-up, at age 29. My mother didn't go grey until her late 40s/early 50s, and my father is just going grey now in his early 60s - so genetically speaking, I probably shouldn't have gone grey quite so young. I'm 35 now and color my hair regularly. So, that's obviously just anecdotal evidence, but for me I feel like the grey hair and the IBD may indeed be related.
 
Um, no.

Stress, medications, lack of sleep can accelerate the aging process, but crohn's disease itself has absolutely nothing to do with when one's hair goes gray.
 
Hey that's a very good question I too have gone really grey in the last 3 years and I'm not sure if anyone has had this problem my hair has mostly fallen out eye brows eyelashes and my hair has come back in white I was diagnosed in July with Crohn's
 
For the record I got crohn's at 31. Started to gray at 38. Well over 40 now, still mostly brown with some gray certainly more visible now. It's a little earlier than my dad or my brother, but I have also had more stress than they have had, less sleep over the years. Didn't see a single gray for 7 years after diagnosis.
 
Well I don't have this disease but I'm an identical twin.
My twin has been under an insane amount of stress for years.
She in her 30's has graying hair.
But I have none (well maybe a couple from my IBD'er).
Plus, a picture of us would show her with more wrinkles than me.
I still happen to be a picture of perfection.:rolleyes:
 
I don't have grey hair apart from two strands and I got them after each of my daughters were born but apart from them I don't have grey hair and I'm nearly 40 and diagnosed 12 years now. My dad didn't get grey hair until he was well into his 50's so I'm hoping im the same.
 
Premature greying is one symptom of B12 deficiency, which is quite likely for the likes of us.

I started going grey at about 35 and at 43 have a mix of black and grey hair. But my Mum was grey by the time she was 40, as was her brother, so I guess that it probably is something I get from her side of the family.

But I'd rather be grey than bald.
 
Premature graying has been associated with some autoimmune diseases, b12 deficience and low vit D and low ferritin in one study. It is often said to be "genetic".
 
I have this chronic condition... its' called aging. And, it is terminal. And, as one call tell from my avatar, it does seem to cause greying.

As I write this nonsense (hey, if we can't laugh at life's predicaments, only tears are left to us)... I look at a family picture on my wall. it was way back when my sons and I moved here. I had just been granted sole custody. Not a single grey hair to be found. By the time my oldest attended prom... well, there were plenty. I think it was due to a normal allergic reaction to children... if you are in constant contact with them, it happens.

Having said that... I have a photo of me taken before I got ill... and another after it hit. I've shown these photos to folks... told them how brief a span of time they covered, and it is irrefutable evidence that dealing with a chronic disease does indeed cause greying.
 
I've noticed a few more grey hairs recently and I wondered if it was due to my multiple severe flares this year. I'd say yes - after some of the stuff the body does to us, I don't see why it wouldn't take it's toll on the ageing process as well
 
I think thyroid problems can be another cause of premature grey hair.

baistuff said:
Um, no.

Stress, medications, lack of sleep can accelerate the aging process, but crohn's disease itself has absolutely nothing to do with when one's hair goes gray.
Click to expand...

I thought it was a myth that stress causes grey hair?
 
UnXmas said:
I think thyroid problems can be another cause of premature grey hair.



I thought it was a myth that stress causes grey hair?
Click to expand...


Emotional stress? you are correct. it will not. Physical/oxidative stress? sure it can.

Certain thyroid issues I think can in general help "age" someone.
 
Hah - I noticed my gray hair was coming in quicker these past few years. I believe the stress on your system can cause it.
 
My hair started turning gray in my twenties. about the same time I started having Crohn's symptoms.
 
I've had Crohn's since 87, I'm almost 40 now. I hardly have any grey hair, which makes me quite happy!
 
I have plucked a a handful over the yrs - they tend to stick out or upward and are really white. Surprised I don't have uncle Fester hair given my neighbours :S
 
No, if your hair turned gray so early ,,That's genes...Believe it or not , I to have been very sick from C.D. at 12 years old..So, from being so sick that the body goes into whats called survival mode,, the body is so busy fighting something from C.D. that most times crohns people look young for a long time without any gray hair or until you get very old, I'm 48 and I have no gray on my head or chin and if I shave off the short beard I still look only in my early 20's
 
My hair started graying early too, at 28, same age I was diagnosed. I do think some of it is genetics, as I have a cousin who went gray early as well.
 
Hi, yeah, turning gray and at what-ever age is mostly from genes,,but, what crohns can do though, is slow down body ageing or prolong gray,, well atleast me, I became very sick at 11-12 years and since, even after my operations I never had a day without any stomach pains or something going on with me and my body's insides, inturn my doctors called it "survival mode" from a early age my body has been in a form of survival mode, I'm 48 now, and I have apsolutly have no gray hair on me ,anywhere...and my skin is very rubbery ,stretchy and looks young,,but on the inside, I'm animic, very malnourished, very low vitamins and my eyes and eyeballs are sick, with a cronic disease cause from C.D., teeth crumble away,ect...Before C.D. gets to bad on you and your body, try juicing, this was a miracle for me , for the first 3 months I was full of energy and ready to deal with anything,,I juiced,,[2] each of,; apples,carrots , celery , color green leafs, swiss char leafs, asparigus storks and 1/2-1 pear....from the frist drink I felt it, I felt the energy, I cant explain it was unbieleable just how great it made me feel, and still 2 years later I feel great, and before that everyday I was thowing-up,very or ready to throw-up ALL day long,, I was miserable this was going on for 3 years everyday.....Rodney..Good luck
 
I'm greying at the temples (because I'm distinguished and what not), but the first grey hairs started showing up when I was about 20 and didn't have my first flare until I was 28.

I'm actually disappointed that I'm not stone grey by now.
 
DS had grey hairs show up at age 8 right after dx .
No more since ...
Grand scheme of things very low on my list to deal with
 
I'm 37, and still have no grey hair. Went through a 2 year flare as well, and still none :) Just good genes I guess
 

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