Why does hair turn gray? Answers from a dermatologist : Short Wave : NPR

Table Of Content

• Do Health Problems Turn Hair Gray?
• action: 'healthbeat'
• Science of Grays
• Why Is Your Hair Turning Grey? Here’s What the Science Says
• Facts About Gray Hair
• University of Utah Hospital

Or, you can switch from a permanent color to less opaque demi color, which can make your gray strands mimic highlights and blend in better with the rest of your hair. Moisture treatment and hair oils can fight dull, dry grays. Heat and light from lamps or the sun can “bleach” gray hair and make it look yellow. A purple-toned shampoo can help keep your tresses a vibrant silver. The scalp contains a natural oil called sebum, which helps keep the skin lubricated.

Do Health Problems Turn Hair Gray?

They found the number of McSCs lodged in the follicle bulge increased from 15 percent to nearly 50 percent. But in the younger hairs, which weren't plucked, the McSCs continued to move around the different compartments, picking up protein signals and producing a consistently rich brown pigment. The research team from NYU Grossman School of Medicine was already familiar with melanocytes.

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action: 'healthbeat'

Just be aware that how fast you'll be back in the chair depends on the color you choose. "The darker your hair, the more maintenance it will require because of the contrast between white and brown shades," says Hazan. "This is usually why a lot of women will want to go blonder when they start going gray, but if you’ve got a good colorist and the right products to maintain it, then you should go for whatever color you want."

Science of Grays

Of course, we could suggest that you avoid all stress, but that's pretty hard to do and impossible if you have any kids or any kind of extended network of people you love. "When the stem cell regulation goes awry, we will have multiple health problems including cancers," she told NPR. "The melanocyte stem cell system is advantageous to understand this broad issue in medical science, as the malfunction of the system is so visible." The follicle bulge isn't giving those McSCs the signal to mature, and it's not sending the McSCs back to a compartment that would.

The sun’s rays (UV) can cause oxidative stress and cellular damage to your hair. If your hair turns completely white, there is likely no possibility of repigmentation. Why a person's hair turns gray has to do with melanocytes, or pigment-producing cells that are concentrated around the hair follicle that give it color. One stops producing pigment, that strand of hair turns gray. So avoid tearing your hair out when frustration strikes—it might just come in gray.

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For a more graduated, natural look, if only about 20 to 30 percent of your hair is gray, you can also opt for balayage, which works if you don’t have as many grays. "It will camouflage the gray and make it look like highlights," says Hazan. Unless you dye, your hair eventually loses its color, usually beginning in your 30s or 40s. Though going gray is natural, many people dread it because of society’s notions about aging. Here’s what researchers know about how and why graying hair happens. As they age, men tend to lose the hair on top of their head, which eventually leaves a horseshoe-shaped ring of hair around the sides.

Facts About Gray Hair

Research from 2016 suggested that people with IRF4 were prone to going gray earlier in life than those without the gene. Yet, some discerning gentlemen (hi, George Clooney) have made gray hair seem stately and handsome over the years. Perhaps you’re ready to embrace this new chapter with open arms — and maybe a PEOPLE cover.

Hair turns gray as a natural part of aging, but there are several other factors that affect when it happens and whether gray hair is reversible. With the right diagnosis and treatments, white hair progression can be stopped and reversed in some instances. For Caucasians, the average age to get gray hair is mid-thirties; for Asian people it’s late thirties; and for African people it’s mid-forties. Below are some commonly asked questions about gray or white hair. The following natural remedies may offer an alternative to slow down hair-whitening without harming the body or causing further hair pigment damage. Hydrogen peroxide, which is in many hair dyes, is one such harmful chemical.

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University of Utah Hospital

“By plucking your hair, you force it to form a new hair. This constant cycling of the hair stresses the hair follicle and may cause that hair to become prematurely gray,” Dr. Honda explains. Theoretically, however, if we can coax our stem cell melanocytes into becoming melanocytes again, we could reverse gray hair. When our body responds to stress, it often damages healthy cells.

By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. Overall, according to Dr. Korda, genetics remains the best predictor of when someone will go gray. Before you rush off to embrace your grays, here are some things you should know.

The Essential Guide for MenThe Manual is simple — we show men how to live a life that is more engaged. As our name implies, we offer a suite of expert guides on a wide range of topics, including fashion, food, drink, travel, and grooming. We don’t boss you around; we’re simply here to bring authenticity and understanding to all that enriches our lives as men on a daily basis. Diana Kwon is a freelance journalist who covers health and the life sciences. AuthorJay SmallJay Small is a sought-after hair stylist in Los Angeles with over 20 years of experience.

Previously, scientists thought gray hairs resulted from melanocyte stem cells depleting in number over time. "The fact that our hairs may contain inactive melanocyte stem cells suggests a target for reactivation for the purposes of repigmentation," Harris told Live Science. However, melanocyte stem cells in the hair follicle normally produce a new set of melanocytes at the start of the next hair growth cycle.

Rock a great cut with lots of style and texture, and get a trim every 6-8 weeks. They can be beautiful and add movement to healthy, bouncy hair. The trait may have evolved partly to help pre-humans stand out from each other and attract mates, and to help regulate body temperature by absorbing or reflecting sunlight. Scientific American is part of Springer Nature, which owns or has commercial relations with thousands of scientific publications (many of them can be found at /us). Scientific American maintains a strict policy of editorial independence in reporting developments in science to our readers. If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing.

The fur that then grew out of that melanocyte-less follicle was gray. So when that off-leash dog starts to growl at you, not only will your heart rate rise and your pupils dilate, but your hair might just start its trek toward gray. Every hair follicle contains pigment cells called melanocytes.

How to Dye Your Hair at Home Like a Pro, According to a Stylist

Table Of Content

• Stunning Ways to Try Ginger Hair, from Strawberry Blonde to Cowgirl Copper
• Don't Mix Your Dye in Advance
• POPULAR HAIR COLORING TECHNIQUES TO CONSIDER
• Wash, Condition and Style
• Make sure to fully saturate your strands.

The good news is that if you’re up for temporary solutions, you have at-home hair dye options that are less likely to damage your hair. Following are some methods that the stylists I spoke to recommend. "Unfortunately, bleach lightener calls for more skill than simply putting it on your hair and waiting a certain amount of time the way you do with color or tint," explains Papanikolas.

Stunning Ways to Try Ginger Hair, from Strawberry Blonde to Cowgirl Copper

"Do not wash your hair before applying color," notes Morales. "This will irritate your scalp and can become painful. The hair should be clean of product but not of your natural oils, as it acts as a protectant." Use a shampoo and conditioner formulated for color-treated hair. You invested a lot in getting a new look, so don’t wash that color down the drain. Opt for sulfate-free hair care products that are formulated for color-treated hair, like the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Repair & Defense Shampoo and L’Oréal Paris EverPure Repair & Defense Conditioner.

Don't Mix Your Dye in Advance

Nothing stated or posted on this site or available through any services are intended to be, and must not be taken to be, the practice of medical or counseling care. Let sit for at least an hour (more if you want more color), and rinse. Try to avoid really hot water as it can take the color away. Leave on hair for at least an hour—more if you want more color.

POPULAR HAIR COLORING TECHNIQUES TO CONSIDER

A strawberry blonde shade, like this one combining blonde and reddish highlights, tends to work best with rosier skin tones. “If you’re lighter-skinned, brighter, golden to strawberry hues will play up your natural rosiness and create a stunning contrast,” Prothero says. This simple, single shade is one ginger hairstyle you actually can achieve at home. Madison Reed's Carrara Crimson ($25) is best described as a “light ginger copper red,” and it can add an orange tint to even the darkest natural hair shades. While conventional hair dye works on all hair types, it can be too harsh for people with sensitive scalps and certain allergies.

Follow up by applying the conditioner and leaving it on for 1-3 minutes. But if the change you want to make is simple and you’re interested in DIY dyeing, picking the right coloring kit is key. If you want to secure a dark brown color, this is the natural way to go for dyeing. If you’re wanting to cover grays, you can use a cotton ball to apply only to those areas where it’s needed. Again, be careful as this dye will stain everything, so take precautions.

Cotton Candy Dreams: Why Light Pink Hair Dye Works on Natural Brunettes

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But also take their advice if they tell you to lay off the hair color until salons resume business. "The ideal ombre has a seamless transition from dark to light and is a difficult feat even for an experienced colorist," says Papanikolas. Runoff from rinsing out your roots can stain the rest of your hair, so she suggests creating a coconut oil barrier to keep dye from dripping down through the rest of your hair. She also suggests adding Vaseline around the hairline to prevent dye from staining your scalp. “It's not safe to color or bleach your hair at home if your hair has been through a lot of processes,” says Grummel.

The video even inspired those who already had the look, as one user commented, "said to myself I want to try this and then remembered my whole head of hair is a pop of red now lol." The look is surprisingly easy to create at home, and the damage-free hair styling hack only needs the extensions and a spray bottle. This allows the color to settle within the hair strand and cuticle. Waiting at least 24 hours to shampoo again (or even 42 hrs, if possible), is a great way to minimize fading of your fresh, new color.

Kérastase Chroma Absolu Anti-Copper Green Mask for Color-Treated Hair

Feel free to repeat this process as needed to achieve a deep brown hair color. “If you want fun colors or pastels, make sure to lighten your hair to the level of lightness you’re looking for and then tone the hair with the desired shade,” says Stenson. Remember that in order to go lighter, you’re almost always going to need to bleach your hair, which is a task best left to the professionals. Once your hair is prepped and lightened, follow the steps below to get a multicolored look. Whether it's out of curiosity, for fun, or just due to plain old boredom, dyeing your hair can be the perfect way to experiment with your look.

Whether you want to sport a trendy shade like rose blonde hair or something a little more natural-looking, like chestnut hair, there are plenty of options for you to choose from in these two lines. Using a color protection leave-in conditioner to maintain color is also a great idea. We highly recommend adding The Good Stuff Color Protect Milk to your hair care lineup. It might seem like a tedious waste of time, but you should definitely do the suggested skin test from your boxed dye.

There’s a conditioning, strengthening rinse that helps with porosity, and this extra-nourishing leave-in starring the healing K-beauty ingredient cica. There’s a chance you may have to go it alone, as the fate of many salons hangs in the air. If touching up your roots or soaking your ponytail in Kool-Aid doesn’t quite scratch the itch, you can take a cue from a lot of other people these days and try to dye your own hair at home. If you're targeting grays, you don't have to dye your whole head.

Keep in mind, however, that if you have dark hair to begin with, you might not see a huge difference. Dye your hair a shade or two darker by brewing a strong cup of your favorite dark roast coffee. While not long-lasting, or very dramatic, this is a great affordable option for quickly covering some gray strands.

You can usually find henna in powder form at your local Indian or Middle Eastern grocery store, or you can purchase it online. Make the dye by mixing about one-half cup of henna with one-fourth cup of water to form a paste. To allow the color to strengthen, you can cover the mixture and let it sit for up to 12 hours.

If you're still not happy with your shade, well, it looks like you'll have to head to a salon when you can. Or apply olive oil to damp hair, wrap it all up in a shower cap, and place a hot towel over it. "The heat opens up the cuticle just enough to let a few dye molecules slip out," she says. It's easy to think that you'll only need one box of hair dye when coloring your hair at home—after all, it is an at-home hair coloring kit. "Buy more than one box of color—you don't want to be short on product in the middle of the process." Thankfully, we know a few professional hairstylists and colorists who shared their expert insights with us.

Let the mixture boil until it has reduced by a third—usually about 15 minutes. But if you're still looking to change your hair color and would prefer to sidestep the bad stuff, consider trying one of these natural ways to dye hair. Products like henna, lemon juice, and even chamomile tea (yes, the kind you drink) can help you switch up your style without damaging your locks. We spoke to colorists Jafra Bryant and Rita Hazan to get their take on natural hair dyes and how to execute the process flawlessly. "Henna can dye all hair types and shades, but the end color really does depend on the person's natural hair color and whether or not they have any grays," says Carryl. "Those with grays and lighter shades of hair will get vibrant orange-red tones, while those with brown and black hair tones will get less of a red pop in color."

Then you should definitely read our article on the best Madison Reed Sulfate-Free Shampoo – a perfect choice for your color-treated hair care routine. If you know how to color your hair at home, you probably know that you need to wash off the hair color. But, it’s important to note that it is best to wait 24 hours before washing your hair again after coloring. Add black tea to the darker colors above to help the color last longer. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) states that over 5,000 different chemicals are used in hair dye products, some of which are reported to be carcinogenic in animals. Though manufacturers have improved beauty products to eliminate some of the more dangerous chemicals that were used in the 1970s, most still contain less-than-savory ingredients.

It works slowly, and will likely require a few repeat sessions. Purchase at least two boxes for a normal amount of hair, but if you have a lot of hair or extra coarse hair, you may need three boxes, says Brown. If, in the end, you do not get the results that you are hoping for, wait it out. "It’s not worth ruining your hair by bleaching it over and over again," says Wallington. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission. Repeat on the other back section, clipping it out of the way once done.