Why do hair turn gray

Eventually, the hair will look completely gray. People can get gray hair at any age. Some people go gray at a young age — as early as when they are in high school or college — whereas others may be in their 30s or 40s before they see that first gray hair.

How early we get gray hair is determined by our genes. This means that most of us will start having gray hairs around the same age that our parents or grandparents first did. Gray hair is more noticeable in people with darker hair because it stands out, but people with naturally lighter hair are just as likely to go gray.

From the time a person notices a few gray hairs, it may take more than 10 years for all of that person's hair to turn gray. Some people think that a big shock or trauma can turn a person's hair white or gray overnight, but scientists don't really believe that this happens. It also aligns patterns of graying and reversal to periods of stress, which implies that this aging-related process is closely associated with our psychological well-being.

Around four years ago Martin Picard , a mitochondrial psychobiologist at Columbia University, was pondering the way our cells grow old in a multistep manner in which some of them begin to show signs of aging at much earlier time points than others. This patchwork process, he realized, was clearly visible on our head, where our hairs do not all turn gray at the same time.

Maybe the hairs that turn white first are the more vulnerable or least resilient. Unexpectedly, however, his partner turned to him and said she had seen such two-colored hairs on her head. Picard and his team began searching for others with two-colored hairs through local ads, on social media and by word of mouth.

Eventually, they were able to find 14 people—men and women ranging from nine to 65 years old with various ethnic backgrounds although the majority were white. Those individuals provided both single- and two-colored hair strands from different parts of the body, including the scalp, face and pubic area. The researchers then developed a technique to digitize and quantify the subtle changes in color, which they dubbed hair pigmentation patterns, along each strand.

These patterns revealed something surprising: In 10 of these participants, who were between age nine and 39, some graying hairs regained color. The team also found that this occurred not just on the head but in other bodily regions as well. Most people start noticing their first gray hairs in their 30s—although some may find them in their late 20s. This period, when graying has just begun, is probably when the process is most reversible, according to Paus.

Anecdotes of such a connection are also visible throughout history: according to legend, the hair of Marie Antoinette, the 18th-century queen of France, turned white overnight just before her execution at the guillotine. In a small subset of participants, the researchers pinpointed segments in single hairs where color changes occurred in the pigmentation patterns. Shmerling, M. Vitiligo occurs when cells that produce melanin die or stop functioning, resulting in a loss of skin color in patches over the body that usually grow over time.

In some cases, it also causes hair to lose color. With alopecia areata, patches of hair — especially colored hairs — can be suddenly lost, which may result in more noticeable gray hair. Shmerling noted in a article that the result could explain why some people seem to turn gray overnight. Join today and get instant access to discounts, programs, services, and the information you need to benefit every area of your life.

Trying to solve the puzzle of graying hair is as old as history. Clay tablets from the ancient Assyrian Empire 7th century B. Researchers continue to look for a way to reverse the graying process, but so far with little success.

You are leaving AARP. Please return to AARP. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also manage your communication preferences by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in.

In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at www. Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.

Now Reading:. Membership My Account.