White Haired Person's Hair Turning Black

[kvalidir]

Hi My 'Grandad' has white hair, pure white like Santa and has had for as long as I remember. He's been quite ill for the last year or so and is on lots of medication for heart issues and vascular issues as well as insulin for type 2 diabetes ( I can give a complete drug and dosage run down if needed).
Just lately he's been getting black hairs growing through his beard and on his head, they are getting more and more prevalent. Whilst he thinks it's amusing, and it's great really, I am worried it might be symptom of something else, although google searches have drawn a blank other than finding a few other people this has happened to as well. Does anyone know of any medical cause for this, as it's now quite pronounced? Ta muchly in advance:)

[Sqad]

\\\\ Does anyone know of any medical cause for this,\\

Somebody might....but nothing obvious springs to mind.

[Sycamore3House]

My Dad was always bald but he had dark body hair. When he had chemo he lost what little hair he had on his head and also all his body hair. But the hair on his head grew back a darker colour and all over his head but it was much finer than before. His body hair grew back also. We had never known him with hair and my brother & I would laugh at him because we were not used to it.

[kvalidir]

Thanx both, weird isn't it sycamore?

I was hoping you'd answer Sqad to put my mind at rest, thanks for that xxx

[Sqad]

;-)

[Sycamore3House]

It was real weird. I can also remember my daughter who would have been about 9/10 at the time started to do his hair as he wouldn't because he had never go in the habit of combing it each day.

[Old_Geezer]

I would not know but I sense a fortune to be made if you can find the cause !

[slaney]

A few cardiac drugs, Verapmil for example, can cause repigmentation of the hair - this is pretty uncommon though. I can't see on a brief look at the scanty literature that it has any great significance.

[dunnitall]

Is he on any iron preparation? I know that my OH's hair which has some grey in it (naturally brown hair) gets more grey when the iron is needed and as soon as it's taken over a period of time, the grey lessens and the dark hair increases. I've often wondered why so I'm wondering if this is similar to your grandfather.

[kvalidir]

Thank you all, no he's not on any iron dunnitall, but that's interesting:)

Hi Slaney, Here's a complete list of his drug regime for you, he had a major cardiac arrest in March 2013, with stents fitted, further ' heart failure' eisodes with extensive water retention, then vascualr surgery in his groin and aorta (unsuccesful stent fitting) and the vascular surgeon decided against a bypass as he didn't think he'd stand the extended anaesthetic at the time and have been trying to treat him with a drug and exercise regime after he had his pacemaker fitted. He's now very much better and brighter than he was despite some kidney failure due to the dye they used in his stent procedures.
Could any of these be causing the sudden black hair? The weird thing was apparently he was only ever fair haired in his youth and this hair is jet black.

Novorapid flex pen, Solostar Lantus - for diabetes type 2.

Omeprazole 20mg- for his gastric issues.

Salbutamol, Salmeterol, Ipatropium Bromide inhalers.

Glyceryl Trinitrate.

Furosemid 40mg x2

Nicrandil 10mg x2

Senna- as and when.

Sitagliptin 100mgx1

Ramipril 1.25mg x2

Atorvastatin 20mg x 1

Thanks all xxx

[Khandro]

Some animals like the Arctic fox can change their hair colour for the seasons, but feathers and fur in animals are like human hair and fingernails -- they are actually dead tissue. They are attached to the animal, but since they are not alive, the animal can do nothing to alter their composition. Consequently, a bird or mammal has to produce a whole new coat of fur or feathers in order to change colour, so granddad's present hairs cannot change colour of themselves only new growth can do that. With that whole pharmacopeia of medicine he is taking, either one or a combination is effecting the pigmentation, in a similar manner to drinking large quantities of carrot juice can make your complexion orange.
That is all I can suggest. I'm not qualified to give medical opinion like sqad, but to me it doesn't sound like anything to be alarmed by.

[anneasquith]

K.....GRECIAN 2000, just a thought. ( as a joke )