Does yellow hair mean malnutrition? Not really

Most of us think that black and shiny hair is healthy hair. If the hair is white, it indicates that the person is old, and if the hair is yellow, it indicates poor nutrition.

The actual situation is not like this, otherwise, foreigners' yellow hair, red hair, and white hair would be problematic.

It’s important to understand that hair color is determined by the pigments produced by melanocytes in the hair follicles. These pigments can vary in many subtle ways, including the specific type of pigment and its relative concentration, and are often related to intrinsic traits such as race and genetics.

In addition, hair color is also affected by other factors, such as age - many children have yellower (or brown) hair when they are young, but this is only a temporary phenomenon.

Specifically, from a biological point of view, as we age, the number and activity of melanocytes in the hair follicles will change, and the shape of the melanin particles in the hair will also change accordingly. These melanins determine the color of the hair. Some children are yellow when they are young, and then slowly turn into brown or black.

Therefore, yellow hair alone does not mean malnutrition. More often, it is due to individual differences caused by factors such as age, genetics, and race.

However, on the other hand, sometimes malnutrition can be accompanied by yellow hair, but there are other problems at the same time. To determine whether yellow hair is really related to malnutrition, you can combine the following clues for comprehensive analysis:

The hair is yellow all year round and there is no sign of it slowly turning black;

In addition to yellow hair, other unhealthy symptoms include brittle hair, easy breakage, dryness and falling out.

In addition to the hair problems, his diet, mental state, height, weight and other health indicators are not as good as those of his peers;

There are causes of malnutrition, such as excessive partiality or picky eating, or systemic diseases such as anemia, thyroid, and digestive tract.

If you are worried or highly suspect that yellowing hair is caused by malnutrition, you can seek medical attention and seek professional evaluation and treatment from a doctor.

References

[1] Itou T, Ito S, Wakamatsu K. Effects of aging on hair color, melanosomes, and melanin composition in Japanese males and their sex differences. Int J Mol Sci. 2022; 23(22): 14459.

[2] V. Broshtilova. From hair color to diagnosis. SC Advanced Research and Reviews. 2021; 7(2): 068-072.

[3] Aging changes in hair and nails. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/004005.htm

[4] How aging affects your hair. https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-aging-affects-your-hair-2223752

Author: Tang Jiaoqing, MD, attending physician of dermatology

Review | Feng Jun, deputy chief physician of the Dermatology Department of Sinopharm Tongmei General Hospital