Cape Town, Durban residents more grey, stressed, than Gauteng – survey

Despite their laid-back reputation, more Cape Town and Durban residents say they are going grey – which they attribute to stress – than their Gauteng counterparts, according to a new survey.

About two in three Cape Town and Durban residents surveyed (about 64%) say their hair is greying, compared to only one in two (51%) in Gauteng. And, 80% of all respondents said they believed greying was due to stress.

The independent research by Insight Survey, on behalf of Alpecin Tuning Shampoo, also found that about 25% of 1 000 male and female respondents, mostly between 25 and 49-years-old, said they were going grey prematurely.

The research also found that 31% of all respondents were worried about going grey, just over half said they would prefer not to go grey, one in two said grey hair made them feel old and 60% said they would happily tint greying hair.

Two in three believe that reducing stress could reverse greying.

Dr Adolf Klenk, head of research at the German-based Dr Wolff Group which produces caffeine shampoos to help prevent hair loss* — including Alpecin Tuning shampoo for men which also maintains a dark shade — explained that hair becomes white when cells called melanocytes stop releasing the pigment melanin into the hair. The combination of dark and white hair gives the grey appearance.

Klenk added that diet also played a role, especially a deficiency in vitamin B, while there was some indication that excessive stress may lead to greying.

(* without a result of a medical condition)

Visit www.alpecin.co.za or Facebook: Alpecin Caffeine Shampoo ZA for more info

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