Forehead gray hair: Often indicates spleen-stomach imbalance. The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine states, "At the age of forty-nine, the Yangming meridian declines, the face begins to wither, and hair starts to fall." The forehead corresponds to the Yangming system, which primarily governs the spleen and stomach. When Yangming declines, hair turns gray—reflecting underlying spleen-stomach dysfunction. As Yangming regulates qi and blood, avoid staying up late during treatment to prevent qi and blood depletion.
Young people with abundant qi and blood may recover quickly after staying up late, but by their thirties and forties, recovery becomes difficult. Sleeping in for several hours during the day cannot compensate for missing just one hour of sleep at night. Going to bed before 11 PM helps store essence and blood, maintaining vitality.
Gray hair at the temples: May indicate liver and gallbladder deficiency. The temples, the areas beside the ears, are primarily associated with the gallbladder.Since the liver and gallbladder are paired organs, the liver is also involved. As the liver governs blood storage, graying at the temples primarily stems from blood deficiency. While nourishing blood, focus on replenishing qi—e.g., eating red dates to strengthen the spleen and boost qi, or drinking millet porridge. Qi generates, circulates, and transforms blood; when qi is replenished, blood rises.
Graying on the crown and back of the head: caused by kidney qi deficiency.The crown is traversed by the Governor and Conception Vessels, which are most closely linked to the kidneys. Gray hair here often stems from kidney qi deficiency. The back of the head lies near the Conception Vessel, thus also connected to kidney function. Those with gray hair in these areas should focus on tonifying both qi and blood while specifically nourishing the kidneys. Regularly consume goji berries and black sesame seeds.