2. Heredity
According to the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, a report from 2005 says that, “Whites tend to gray first, often as early as their mid-30s, followed by Asians and then Africans. About half of 50-year-olds are at least 50 percent gray.” In general, most doctors live by this 50/50/50 rule which suggests that at age 50, 50% of the population will have 50% gray hair. A more recent worldwide study published in National Institute of Health suggests that in reality these numbers are actually much lower. In fact in some parts of the world research suggests the numbers are as low as 6-23% of people age 50 and over have gray hair.
3. Hair Removal
Ever heard the old wives tale about plucking your gray hairs makes more come? This is scientifically impossible. The only consequence from hair removal is hair loss. Over time, however, the constant plucking of your hairs can cause damage to the follicles and decreased hair production.
4. Stress
Another often go to is to say that stress is a direct cause of hair loss and discoloration. To date there isn’t any hardcore evidence that can directly link the two, but there have been several studies that suggest that stress may play a role in graying hair. Nobel Prize winner Robert Lefkowitz did a study that uncovered that “long-term productions of the body’s fight or flight response—the instinctive ability to mobilize energy in response to a threatening situation—can damage your DNA and cause premature aging, including graying hair.”
6 Gray Hair Truths Revealed was originally published on blackdoctor.org
