DEAR DR. GOTT:
I have an unusual problem for which I cannot find any help.
I stopped coloring my brunette hair over 15 years ago. As a 76-year-old female, I have a nice head of grey hair that still has some darker roots on the back of my head. I have given up perms for a year and am growing my hair longer, hoping for easier care.
Now my hair is turning a brassy yellow color on the top layer. I worked outside all summer in my garden as I am a farmer, but I wore a hat. I’ve tested our well water at the state office and find no problem there, except for a higher than normal arsenic count, common here near the Snake River in Idaho.
I am not on any new medications, but am at my wit’s end about the brassy color my hair has taken on. I’ve spoken with three beauticians but didn’t get any help there. Can you advise me?
DEAR READER:
Melanin contains metals such as iron, zinc and magnesium and is a natural pigment that gives hair, skin and the choroid of the eye color. Its production slows as we age, causing hair to turn grey. Other causes can be a vitamin B12 deficiency or a thyroid imbalance.
Hair that takes on a yellow tone can be linked to smoking or to air pollutants. Perhaps someone in your home smokes, or you may have been exposed to elements in the air while working out of doors.
Try using a purifying shampoo once a month or so to prevent a buildup. Also, shampoos with a blue/ash or silver tone will combat those yellow tones. There are also natural rinses, such as lemon juice, that might be worth pursuing.
When you visit your physician next, ask about the possibility of a B12 deficiency or thyroid imbalance. Simple laboratory testing can rule out both disorders. Further, B12 deficiency is so commonly overlooked for countless disorders that Sally Pacholok wrote a book entitled “Could It Be B12?” a few years ago. The information it contains might be helpful to you.
To give you additional related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Fads: Vitamins and Minerals”. Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed, stamped number 10 envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.
