There are a number of causes for gray pubic hair. Natural aging processes can turn hair gray on the head, face, arms, and other areas of the body, and pubic hair is not immune to the change. Heredity may make a person predisposed to premature graying, including hair in the pubic region. A diet lacking protein or B vitamins can cause the development of gray hair as well. Other causes may include smoking cigarettes and extreme anxiety.
Natural aging is one of the most common causes of gray pubic hair. As people age, the hair follicles begin to produce less of a pigment called melanin. Melanocytes, cells in melanin, determine the color of a person’s hair and skin. The decreased melanin may affect other types of hair on the body before changing pubic hair color, but eventually, melanin production will cease and cause gray pubic hair. Pollution, extreme stress, and the use of certain chemicals can stop the production of melanin as well.
Hereditary may also play a role in causing gray pubic hair. When people have family members whose hair grayed early, the possibility of getting early gray pubic hair increases. When combined with other factors, genetics may quicken the process for people who are genetically inclined for gray hair.
Poor diet is sometimes associated with premature gray hair as well. Eating too little protein or becoming vitamin B12 deficient are two of the biggest dietary issues associated with graying hair. Some people delay the progression of gray hair by eating a nutritional, well-balanced diet.
Stress has been rumored to cause gray hair for a number of years, but experts have found insufficient data to support the claim. Unless a person’s stress and anxiety levels are extremely high, the chance of developing stress-related gray pubic hair is remote. Serious anxiety may deplete the body’s supply of B vitamins, which can cause hair to gray. The average person will not suffer from stress-related graying hair.
Research has found that there is a link between smoking cigarettes and the premature development of gray hair. Nicotine has been known to increase the natural aging processes. For example, smoking tobacco can cause facial wrinkles because the body absorbs the chemicals found in cigarettes into the bloodstream, sending them to the skin and other organs of the body. Hair follicles may be affected by the chemicals as well, which can cause gray pubic hairs to develop.