White hair is nothing to worry about – it is something that is determined by our genes, and in the majority of cases, it does not indicate any health problems. Due to the fact that the time when white hair starts to appear is determined by our genes, there is nothing we can do to stop it. Therefore, there is no way for you to remove the white hair that has appeared. If it really bothers you, the only option for you is to pluck it out. There is no truth in the old warning that plucking a white hair will make more white hairs appear. There is no scientific basis to this idea – it is possible that this is just a freak occurrence, and no more white hairs will appear till you are past thirty. On the other hand, this may be the start of premature graying (which is not uncommon), in which case the only problem is that plucking this one hair is not going to solve the problem.
Just like our skin, our hair gets its color from the pigment melanin, which, in this case, is produced in the follicles. At a certain point of time, the follicles stop producing melanin, and as a result, the new hair that grows becomes colorless or white. The time when this happens is determined by your genes – for most people, it happens after thirty. It may happen soon after thirty, or it may happen much later in life. Some people have mostly black hair even well into their forties, while others go almost completely gray even before they hit forty. In a few cases, graying may happen much earlier – in the twenties, or even in the teens. Unfortunately, the only option such people have is to dye their hair.
For now, since only one white hair has appeared, you should just forget about it. As mentioned earlier, pluck it if you wish, but after that put it out of your mind. A few things you should keep in mind however – your diet has an effect on the health of your hair, and even though there is no evidence linking poor diet to premature graying, it is advisable to eat a healthy balanced diet to rule this out. Secondly, smoking is one proven factor in premature graying, and you should therefore avoid it. If you have already started smoking, you should stop, and if you have not started, avoid ever doing so.
answered by G M