Gray hair grows when hydrogen peroxide builds up in your hair follicle. "This causes hair to bleach itself from the inside out," says Debra Jaliman, MD, a dermatologist in New York and spokesperson for the American Academy of Dermatology. Gray hairs are thicker and wirier, so your hair gets coarser as they multiply.
Gray hair is thinner than hair with natural color because its cuticle is thinner. Your hair needs that natural protection from water, ultraviolet rays from the sun, humidity, chemicals, and heat styling. Without that barrier, your hair loses water. So your gray will feel dry, fragile, and coarse.
8. Gray hair isn't more coarse than colored hair. Gray hair is actually finer than colored hair, but it may seem drier because our scalps produce less oil as we get older.
The researchers, who published their findings in the British Journal of Dermatology, also looked at substances called growth factors that control how and where hair grows over time. They discovered that one of the substances that boosts hair growth is more active in white hairs than in black.
Your body has hair follicles, which are small sacs that line skin cells. Hair follicles have pigment cells known as melanin. These cells give your hair its color. But over time, hair follicles can lose pigment, resulting in white hair.
Although this may seem like a permanent change, new research reveals that the graying process can be undone—at least temporarily. Hints that gray hairs could spontaneously regain color have existed as isolated case studies within the scientific literature for decades.
However, as you get older, you produce lower amounts of catalase, which allows the hydrogen peroxide to build up. This buildup can damage the pigment-producing cells, leading to gray or white hairs. In women, graying usually begins right around the temples and then moves toward the top of the scalp.
When your grays come in you might notice they look and act completely different than what you're used to. That's alright! It's normal for grays to grow in with a different curl texture. It happens because the slowed oil and melanin production in the hair affects its chemical structure.
Can White Hair Turn Black Again? Genetic or age related greying of hair cannot be reversed.
The human body has millions of hair follicles or small sacs lining the skin. The follicles generate hair and color or pigment cells that contain melanin. Over time, hair follicles lose pigment cells, resulting in white hair color.
To counteract the more coarse and often wiry texture of gray hair, it is important you use a good daily conditioner and, as needed, a deep moisturizing treatment once a week. A shine boosting spray will also give you a smooth and healthy look.
It can be a shock to find your first gray hairs on your head, especially if you're only in your 20s. But women's expert Dr. Kirtly Parker Jones says a few gray hairs is perfectly normal, even for women in their late 20s and early 30s. However, stress, genetics and other factors can play a role.
Shaskank Kraleti, M.D., explain the medical science behind this myth. “Plucking a gray hair will only get you a new gray hair in its place because there is only one hair that is able to grow per follicle. Your surrounding hairs will not turn white until their own follicles' pigment cells die.”
While hair dyes and techniques have come a long way since their follicle-frying beginnings, they do still leave some damage. Taking a hiatus from color will help your hair return to its previous state--especially as dyed ends get chopped off.
In fact, hair doesn't actually "turn" gray at all. Once a hair follicle produces hair, the color is set. If a single strand of hair starts out brown (or red or black or blond), it is never going to change its color (unless you color your hair).
Despite the claims made online and by product marketers, it's not possible to reverse white hair if the cause is genetic. Once your hair follicles lose melanin, they can't produce it on their own.
A new study shows that stress really can give you gray hair. Researchers found that the body's fight-or-flight response plays a key role in turning hair gray. Your hair color is determined by pigment-producing cells called melanocytes.
Typically, white people start going gray in their mid-30s, Asians in their late 30s, and African-Americans in their mid-40s. Half of all people have a significant amount of gray hair by the time they turn 50.
Vitamin B-6 and B-12 are two of the Complex-B vitamins that aid in healthy skin and hair. B-6 may help restore hair to its original color following an illness or deficiency. Para-Amino benzoic Acid (PABA) and Pantothenic Acid are part of the family of B-complex vitamins.
Melanin is a chemical that gives your hair its color. As you age, these cells start to die. When there is a lack of pigment, new hair strands grow lighter and eventually turn to shades of gray, silver, and eventually white," Friese explains.
More Breakage
It's simple fact of life that gray hair is more fragile and finer. This is due to the cuticle being thinner, which provided a protective layer, than when your hair had pigment. So using a delicate hand when styling and avoiding hot tools is important.
Blonds get white hair just like brunets, but some blondes only appear to get a lighter blond while others experience their blonde hairs getting darker and duller as the white hairs begin to appear. Still, blondes can, over time, have a full head of white hair.
Some celebrities have started embracing their natural gray hair, and others have dyed their locks. Stars like Andy Cohen, Jamie Lee Curtis, and George Clooney have made the look popular. Younger celebrities, like Kelly Osbourne, have sought out the look with silver or gray dye.
Alopecia and grey hair are associated with COVID-19 Severity.
Silvery strands are one of the more conspicuous signs of aging. That said, getting gray hair doesn't necessarily mean that you're closer to the end of your life span than anyone else your age. Gray hair occurs when the hair follicles produce less melanin, the pigment that gives hair its color.