Background: Premature hair graying (PHG) has attracted many researchers over the past several decades. The different aspects and causes of PHG have been investigated. However, few studies worldwide have tackled this issue. This study investigated the relationship between stress factors and PHG. Such studies are rare in Saudi Arabia.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from 2018 to 2019. The target population was Saudi men and women aged 15 to 35 years residing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, who had PHG. The questionnaire consisted of five parts as follows: demographic information, the onset of hair graying, severity, perceived stress scale, aggravating factors, and participants’ opinions about PHG.
Results: Among the 525 participants (426 women, 99 men) aged 15-35 years, 115 participants (78 women and 37 men) were eligible for inclusion criteria (21.90%). The exclusion criteria included non-Saudis living outside Riyadh, used chemicals, genetic factors, poor diet, and endocrine problems. Of all the participants (34.9%) aged between 21 and 25, women had the highest percentage (81.1%). Participants started having graying hair before 20 (41%). Moreover, 64.6% of participants had moderate stress levels.
Conclusion: Despite the many risk factors that lead to PHG, psychological stress cannot be considered as a risk factor. There is a need to generalize this study across the entire population of Saudi Arabia.
Key words: Premature hair greying, Grey hair, Psychological stress, perceived stress scale
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