Is There a Way to Reverse Gray Hair?

Your first gray hair can sneak up on you. Have you had the shock of realizing that it’s not alone? Has your hair already turned completely gray or snowy white? Maybe you haven’t started going gray yet, and you wonder if you can slow down or stop the process.

“Graying is the sign of aging in the hair. Cells in the hair follicle called melanocytes produce the pigment melanin. Melanin gives hair its color. Over time, those cells produce less melanin. They also diminish in number, and they fail to transfer the melanin (that they do produce) to the matrix cells of the follicle,” says Antonella Tosti, M.D., a dermatologist with the University of Miami Health System. The matrix cells are the ones that actually produce hairs.

The vast majority of adults go gray.

Fifty percent of people have roughly 50% gray hair by age 50. Dermatologists call this “the 50-50-50 rule.”

How do we go gray?

Your whole head seems to turn gray gradually. Yet, on an individual level, hairs don’t really “turn gray” at all. Once an individual hair of a particular color emerges from the follicle, its color stays the same. Whether it is black or brown, red or gold, gray or white, that is that hair’s color until it dies and falls out.

But, melanocytes residing in hair follicles slow down or stop producing pigment over time. For this reason, when a new hair sprouts from a follicle it may be gray or white.  

Some people go gray earlier than others.  

“There are genetic factors involved in when a person goes gray. Genes are important, as they are in the skin aging in general,” says Dr. Tosti. If one or both of your parents went gray early, you’re more likely to do so.

Ethnicity matters, as well. “Caucasian people develop gray hair earlier than other ethnic groups. By their thirties, they tend to have some gray,” she says. Asian people go gray a bit later. People with African ancestry tend to go gray at the most senior ages, around 45, because their hair contains more melanin, she says.

“The rule of thumb for Caucasians is that at 30, they are about 30% grey, and at 40, about 40%,” she says.

“Asian people go gray more slowly because they have more antioxidants in their hair follicles. Antioxidants protect the melanocytes from oxidative damage, which speeds up the graying process,” Dr. Tosti says. Later in this article, you’ll find advice about eating foods rich in antioxidants or taking antioxidant tablets to slow down the gray.

While you can’t control your genetic line, the good news is that lifestyle choices matter, too.

The stress level of your environment affects how quickly you go gray.

“Beyond your genes, your environment also plays a part in how early you go gray. Many studies have shown that you can become gray because you experience a lot of stress. So environmental factors that increase your stress level all promote graying,” Dr. Tosti says.

History provides some stark examples.

Legend has it that Marie Antoinette’s hair turned gray overnight, just before she was beheaded in 1791.

Many observers have noticed that U.S. presidents who enter office with dark hair almost always leave it looking very gray after four years in such an intense job.

Clearly, life’s stressors don’t have to be that intense to bring on the gray. The ordinary things we all live through, earning a living or struggling to do so, handling relationships, and dealing with setbacks cause most adults to go gray to some extent. 

Stress causes a spike in free radicals in the follicle. The free radicals cause oxidative damage to the melanocytes, which then produce less pigment.

Environmental stressors take many forms.

Your “environment” is an umbrella term that involves both your physical and social circumstances. These factors can either contribute to more significant life stress — or buffer you from stressors.

 People are less stressed when they have easy access to clean air and water, and more stressed when they do not. Living in a wholesome environment reduces stress. Living close to toxic sites or sources of significant pollution, such as a bus terminal, adds to stress. A lack of easy access to medical care and to recreational resources also boosts a person’s stress level. Social factors such as living in poverty or facing stigma or discrimination increase stress.

Having good access to and enough money for wholesome, simple foods reduces stress. Living in a “food desert,” far from a good grocery store, increases it. People feel better and enjoy better health living in places with more trees than people who don’t see many trees.

Good social ties reduce stress.

How vibrant is your social and community life? Are you often lonely or do you feel well supported by family, friends, and neighbors?

Is the design of your community stressful or pleasant? Are the streets bare and depressing, or shady and pretty? Do you have easy access to transportation when you need or want it?

Eventually, high levels of stress can lead to chronic inflammation. According to a paper in the Annals of Dermatology, inflammation can interfere with melanocytes.

“I suggest to my patients that they do their best to reduce their stress levels,” Dr. Tosti explains.  Exercise, meditation and practices such as yoga all have proven value as stress reducers. But don’t wait until you feel especially stressed. Build these activities into your routine for the greatest benefit.

“There are many nerves in the hair follicle. There seem to be complex pathways between the nervous system and melanocytes, pathways which are being studied a lot,” Dr. Tosti explains.

Nutrition plays a part, too.

The best diet to postpone graying is one rich in anti-inflammatory plant foods. Such foods act against inflammation because they contain high levels of antioxidants and polyphenols.

Fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are all fine sources; so are goji berries, an Asian fruit often sold in a dry form. Keep dried fruits on hand for times you can’t get to the store — such as raisins, peaches, mangos,

On the vegetable aisle, kale, red cabbage, beets, spinach and artichokes are high in antioxidants. So are beans, parsley, garlic, ginger, turmeric, parsley, and sage. For dessert, nibble on dark chocolate, which is also rich in antioxidants.

Also, avoid foods that cause inflammation.

The list includes white breads, fried foods, and red meats. Especially steer away from processed meats such as sausages and hot dogs.

When it comes to fats, avoid margarine, shortening and lard. Instead, choose oils that fight inflammation. This group includes olive oil, sesame oil and safflower oil. Oils in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines are also beneficial.

Many people take antioxidants as supplements. However, the best approach is to eat a balanced, plant-rich diet because, hair color aside, such a diet supports your physical and mental health in myriad ways.

Dying your hair does not affect graying.

“Coloring or bleaching does not affect graying in any way. Go ahead and color. The type of color it’s best to use depends on the amount of gray,” Dr. Tosti says. “If you have a few gray hairs and you’re less than 30% gray, you can use botanicals like henna or semipermanent dyes. With more than 50% gray, you need a permanent hair dye.”

Is permanent hair dye safe?

The permanent dyes contain a chemical called paraphenylenediamine (PPD). In some people, this chemical causes allergies. Researchers have also explored whether or not PPD causes cancer.

Here’s what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports: In some studies done on mice, exposure to the chemical led to certain tumors developing more often than they did in mice who were not exposed. However, the difference was not statistically significant. In other studies, the chemical did not seem to lead to increased cancers.

“The permanent dyes can cause allergies in some people but if you are not allergic, you can use them,” says Dr. Tosti.

Someday, graying may be preventable.

“Certain new drugs that are used to treat cancer patients over the long term can affect the hair color. In some patients taking these drugs, which are called tyrosine kinase inhibitors, their hair turned black again,” Dr. Tosti says. Not all patients experienced the reversal of their gray hair, though.

“This means there is a possibility for reversing gray hair. This is certainly of great interest scientifically. And the hair color industry is working like crazy to find a way to prevent graying,” says Dr. Tosti.

But the biological processes involved are complicated, she adds. So, despite all the efforts, there’s no prevention yet.

Most people have lived awhile and figured a few things out by the time they start to go gray.

Although our culture tends to prioritize youth and beauty, we can push back and make peace with the visible changes that reflect our years of living and learning.

Or we can comfort ourselves that rock stars and some trendy young people are deciding to dye their hair gray because it looks so cool. The trend of young women dying their hair “granny gray” started taking off in New York City around 2017. Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga have embraced gray hair. Can you?

Milly Dawson is a contributor for UHealth’s news service.

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