how to increase melanin in hair naturally

Gray hair can run in families or inevitably come as you age. And no, not everyone appreciates seeing their hairs begin to gray, as it’s a sign of getting older and aging! Sure, the idea of gray hair is changing, but I’m sure that if you’re like me, you’d like to avoid the greying as soon as possible.

That’s where melanin comes along, and increasing its production is a great way to prevent it from graying further. The question is: What can you do? Learn all about how to increase melanin in hair naturally here.

How to Increase Melanin In Hair Naturally

Hair color is made within hair follicles by pigment cells known as melanocytes. These cells produce melanin stored in your hair’s cortex. As your hair grows, the pigment forms, which forms the color of your hair, with the color depending on your genetics.

However, hair color will not stay the same your entire life. As time passes, your hair will change with age, with melanocytes becoming less active, eventually stopping the production of color. This is what results in the graying or whiting of hair.

White hair means no more melanin left, leaving keratin showing. This is a natural aging process, with melanin production slowing down in your 30s. However, premature graying can happen when you’re younger, possibly due to genetics or illnesses.

So how can you help with your melanin production and naturally increase it? Here are some tips you can follow:

1. Changing Your Diet

You are what you eat, and eating unhealthily can negatively affect your melanin production! Change your diet and go the healthy route, following these tips:

  • Consume more healthy protein in your diet, as protein deficiency can cause hair pigmentation to fade quickly
  • Eat more seafood if you have no allergies, as this is rich in copper and iodine, helping in melanin production
  • Enrich your diet with natural foods that have hair vitamins such as citrus fruits, green vegetables, milk, rice, eggs, liver, red meat, chicken and turkey, molasses, whole grains, raw seeds, dried beans, soybeans, potatoes, pineapples, kiwi, melon, and more fruits and vegetables! Focus on foods with antioxidants, like green tea, nuts, dark chocolate, and other herbs and spices.

2. Amping Up Exercise

Another reason why your melanin production is a bit bad is due to stress. After all, studies show how stress and gray hair are connected in a way!

To help lessen stress, you may want to consider not just altering your diet. You should also increase your exercise and follow methods to help lower your stress levels.

Practice yoga and/or deep breathing daily, which helps reduce stress. You can also try to reduce your workload and keep a better schedule, giving yourself time for exercise and other hobbies that keep you happy.

3. Coconut Oil

jar with coconut oil

Various natural methods amp up your melanin production and prevent your hair from graying prematurely. Coconut oil is one of these natural methods, which many people swear by.

To improve melanin production for your hair, follow these steps:

  1. Place dried ribbed pieces in a container with a cup of coconut oil, leaving it for three days at room temperature.
  2. Boil the mixture on medium-high heat until the hours are liquified.
  3. Once it’s cooled, massage the mixture into your scalp, which may release excess heat, keeping the hair strong and nourished. It helps enhance melanin production and give our hair nice deep conditioning treatment.

4. Get Some Sun

get some sun for melanin

Melanin is known as a natural protector against the sun’s UV rays. Suntans are signs of the skin releasing melanin, your skin’s way to protect itself from any damage. Getting a bit of tan under the sun can help boost your melanin levels a bit, and it gives you some vitamin D for better health.

But you do need to be wary when considering getting a tan for better melanin production! Going overboard with the tanning can also greatly damage your skin, especially if you don’t use proper protection. Use sunscreen when tanning, whether under the sun or in tanning booths.

Read more: Can You Still Get a Tan With SPF50? More Advice Here

5. Supplements With Melanin-Producing Vitamins

Did you know that you can also invest in anti-graying hair pills? However, you have to be wary about any side effects it has and read through the labels. It’s also best that you check with your doctor before taking any medicine or pills with claims of helping in melanin production and hair color.

Besides these anti-graying hair pills, you can also invest in supplements known to have vitamins that increase melanin. Here are the vitamins that can help prevent gray hair and improve its health:

  • Vitamin A helps produce healthy sebum
  • Vitamin C protects cells of your human body from oxidation or damage from air pollution
  • Vitamins B6 and B12 are complex-B vitamins that help maintain healthy skin and hair. B6 can restore hair to original color from any deficiencies or illness
  • Para-aminobenzoic acid or pantothenic acid is part of vitamin B-complex, which can postpone graying hair. When taken with folic acid, it can even reverse graying hair color!
  • Inositol is a substance the human body has naturally, which improves hair growth and health
  • Biotin can produce keratin, which helps in hair
  • Niacin helps in scalp circulation, nourishing hair follicles

If you want to learn more about melanin production and the importance of melanocytes for hair color, check out this informative video:

Wrapping It Up

Graying hair is inevitable, but there are ways to keep it from graying too quickly. When you increase your melanin production healthily, it can help keep your hair color well. Fortunately, there are natural ways to do so and as long as you talk with your doctor, you’ve got nothing to lose!

I hope that these tips on how to increase melanin in hair naturally helped you out! So don’t wait any longer and try out any of these methods to increase your melanin now.