As we age, our hair naturally loses its pigmentation, leading to the appearance of gray hair. Although this process is a natural part of aging, it can be frustrating for those who want to maintain a youthful appearance. In recent years, many people have become interested in finding ways to slow down, prevent, or even reverse gray hair. But is it really possible to do so?

In this article, we'll take a closer look at the biology of gray hair to better understand why it occurs and what factors may contribute to its development. We'll also explore some remedies and lifestyle changes that might help slow or prevent the onset of gray hair. Finally, we'll look at some of the potential methods for reversing gray hair and discuss the effectiveness of these approaches. Whether you're looking to prevent gray hair or reverse it once it's already occurred, this article will give you valuable insight into this common sign of aging.

Why does hair turn gray?

Getting gray hair is an inseparable part of getting older. However, it is possible to slow down the rate of graying. And in some cases, it is even possible to reverse gray hair, as we will see.

But why do we get grey hair in the first place?

Currently, scientists have two main explanations: oxidative stress and stem cell depletion.

In general, the cells that build and pigment our hair are damaged by oxidative stress, resulting in less colored, gray hair. In addition, these cells are produced less over time due to stem cell dysfunction.

Causes of gray hair: Oxidative stress

Melanocytes are cells that surround the hair shaft and give it color.

More specifically, melanocytes pump tiny pigment grains into the hair cells that make up the hair. This pigment, called melanin, gives the hair its specific color.

There are two types of melanin: eumelanin (a dark pigment) and pheomelanin (a light pigment). People with blonde hair have a lot of pheomelanin, while people with black hair have mostly eumelanin.

As we age, our melanocytes become more exposed to oxidative stress. This means that harmful oxidative molecules, such as hydrogen peroxide, are produced in excessive amounts within the melanocytes and damage the cells.

Hydrogen peroxide (also called oxygen bleach) damages and even kills the melanocyte cells that make the pigment. This leads to less production of melanin, which is what causes our hair to turn gray.

But why does this accumulation of corrosive substances such as hydrogen peroxide occur? The aging process is mainly responsible.

As we age, our melanocytes become less able to eliminate hydrogen peroxide. Our cells produce fewer proteins that break down hydrogen peroxide, such as catalase. Less catalase in older melanocytes means more hydrogen peroxide buildup and more damage to the melanocytes ( R , R , R ).

But there are more reasons for graying hair than just the increase in oxidative stress.

Causes of gray hair: dysfunction of stem cells

Melanocytes are continuously produced by stem cells. As we age, these stem cells become damaged and many of them die.

Fewer stem cells mean fewer melanocytes produced, which in turn leads to less pigment produced, causing hair to turn gray.

The stem cells slowly but steadily become dysfunctional and eventually die for many reasons. One reason is the accumulation of oxidative stress, which occurs in the melanocytes.

Other reasons cause the stem cell pool to dwindle, such as epigenetic changes, mitochondrial dysfunction, DNA damage, protein accumulation, telomere shortening, etc. This leads to stem cell depletion and, consequently, to a lower production of the melanocytes we need to give color to our hair ( R , R ).

These are some of the main reasons why our hair turns gray. Of course, these processes can be accelerated by many factors, such as unhealthy diet, smoking, stress and specific diseases such as diabetes, autoimmune diseases, anemia or thyroid diseases.

The role of stress in graying hair is very interesting. It is now clear that stress can accelerate graying of hair. We have all seen this in executives and presidents who have become significantly grayer at the end of their term because of all the stress and responsibility.

How does stress accelerate graying of hair?

Researchers discovered that when stress occurs, the nerve endings that innervate the hair follicle stem cells produce adrenaline. The adrenaline activates the stem cells and causes them to migrate from their niche to the upper regions of the skin, where the stem cells subsequently die.

This leads to stem cell depletion. Fewer stem cells mean less production of melanocytes, which come from the stem cells. This means less pigment and therefore more graying of the hair ( R ).

Other factors can also accelerate graying of hair, such as genetic predisposition, vitamin and mineral deficiencies (we'll see which ones), hormones, inflammation, ultraviolet light, pollutants, toxins and certain medications ( R ).

14 Ways to Treat Gray Hair

There are many approaches to slowing down the graying of hair. One important approach is to ensure that you consume adequate amounts of specific vitamins and minerals that are very important for the maintenance and protection of stem cells and melanocytes.

1. Consume adequate amounts of minerals that are important for healthy hair

Certain minerals are needed by melanocytes to produce pigment (a process called melanogenesis), such as copper, zinc, iron and calcium ( R , R ).

Other important minerals for healthy hair are selenium and magnesium.

People who are deficient in these important minerals are at a higher risk of their hair turning gray. Another important mineral for hair health is iodine. Iodine is an important building block in thyroid hormones, which play a role in hair pigmentation. Many thyroid disorders can lead to accelerated graying of hair ( R ).

2. Take your vitamins

• B vitamins are important for hair health, especially vitamin B12 ( R , R ). It is best to take a vitamin B complex supplement that contains all of the B vitamins rather than just a single one or a few B vitamins: B vitamins have synergistic effects.

• Low vitamin D levels are associated with a higher risk of premature graying of hair.

• Vitamin C: Taking this vitamin can increase glutathione levels and other antioxidant substances that may reduce oxidative stress in hair follicle cells ( R ).

• Vitamin A: Vitamin A is needed for healthy hair. However, be careful not to consume too much vitamin A (ideally less than 2500 international units per day).

• Iron deficiency has also been linked to gray hair.

• Too little copper intake can also contribute to graying hair.

• Insufficient protein intake can also be a cause of graying hair.

3. Eat healthy

Healthy foods contain many substances that can reduce oxidative stress in the stem cells of hair follicles and melanocytes.

In addition, a healthy diet provides all the vitamins, minerals and other substances necessary to keep your hair cells healthy for as long as possible.

Eat plenty of vegetables (especially green leafy vegetables like kale, spinach and collard greens), colorful fruits (especially blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries and oranges), nuts (especially walnuts) and seeds like flaxseeds, chia seeds or pumpkin seeds.

Flavonoids can slow down the graying of hair ( R ). Flavonoids are found in large amounts in brightly colored fruits and vegetables, such as blueberries, strawberries, oranges, green leafy vegetables, as well as in dark chocolate, onions, herbs and teas.

One risk factor for premature graying is a vegetarian diet ( R ). Although it may be healthy to eat less meat, vegetarians are often deficient in important vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B12, zinc and iron, which hair stem cells and melanocytes need to function properly. The higher risk of deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals in vegetarians may explain premature baldness in some male vegetarians.

On the other hand, the consumption of large amounts of animal products (eg meat and milk) can also cause premature graying of hair and baldness, as too much animal food overstimulates the aging pathways (eg mTOR, IGF and insulin pathways). Milk in particular activates these aging pathways very strongly. In addition, milk contains galactose, which causes considerable oxidative stress in the cells ( R ), which can lead to accelerated graying of hair.

A balanced diet consisting of large portions of vegetables and fruits and small to moderate portions of animal products is ideal for gray hair. If this is not possible, supplementation may be appropriate.

4. Melatonin

Melatonin is a natural substance produced by the body to prepare us for sleep. Melatonin could reduce graying of hair and improve hair pigmentation, mainly due to its protective effect on cells, including stem cells ( R , R ).

5. Ashwagandha

This is an herb that can reduce oxidative damage. One study showed that people who took Ashwagandha for more than a year had an increased amount of hair pigment.

6. Don't smoke

Smoking accelerates graying of hair ( R , R ). Toxic substances from smoke are absorbed into the blood and enter the cells that build and pigment the hair shaft, causing increased oxidative stress and other forms of damage.

7. Avoid excessive alcohol consumption

Too much alcohol can put a strain on the cells in your body and cause your hair to turn grey faster ( R , R ).

8. Reduce stress, especially chronic stress

As we've already discussed, stress can accelerate graying of hair ( R ). Try meditating more and changing your thought patterns to be less stressed, for example through cognitive behavioral therapy.

9. Pay attention to certain medications

Some medications can cause graying of hair, such as antimalarials and certain chemotherapy drugs.

10. Use more science-based products

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There are many products that claim they can slow down or reverse graying hair.

Most of them don't work. Almost none of them have been tested in human clinical trials comparing them to a placebo treatment.

However, there are some products that have at least taken the trouble (and expense) to test their substances in a scientific way. But these products are not miracle cures either. Far from it.

Greyverse (Biotec) and RE30 (Phyto Paris) are products that contain peptides that aim to stimulate melanin synthesis to slow down hair graying. These companies have conducted clinical trials to demonstrate the effectiveness of their products. They claim to reduce gray hair by about 30 percent after about 3 months. Since these products stimulate melanocytes to produce more pigment, there must still be sufficient melanocytes. Therefore, the product is recommended for people who have just started getting gray hair or people who have about 30 percent gray hair.

Darkenyl (developed by Givaudan) contains substances that are precursors of melanin pigment and other ingredients that can protect hair stem cells. At least that's what they claim.

Melaniq (Oxford Biolabs) claims to improve the synthesis of the hair pigment melanin. The supplement contains substances such as copper and tyrosine, which are needed to produce melanin (tyrosine is converted into L-dopa and then into melanin). It also contains substances that can protect hair stem cells and melanocytes, such as vitamin C, green tea extract, vitamin D, B vitamins (B12, folic acid, biotin), quercetin and lycopene. This approach is not very new or innovative, since it has been known for decades that these substances are involved in pigment synthesis or in protecting pigment-producing cells, but of course it could help.

Keep in mind that you need to take these products for at least 3 months and ideally 7 months or more to see results.

11. Pseudocatalase cream

One study showed that a topical cream containing pseudocatalase could reduce oxidative stress and induce partial repigmentation ( R ).

12. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)

There are some reports that repeated treatments with platelet-rich plasma injected into the scalp may darken hair again, but this is still very preliminary and more research is needed.

13. Pills and supplements to slow down gray hair

Several companies are working on pills that could bring back colored hair. Some of these companies are focusing on the Wnt pathway, which is involved in hair graying. Some major cosmetic companies like L'Oréal are focusing on pills that contain vitamins, minerals and other natural substances to slow down hair graying.

14. Don't damage your hair

The stem cells in the hair follicles are very delicate. If you bleach your hair or expose your scalp to too much UV light or heat (from curling irons or hair dryers), you risk damaging or stressing the delicate stem cells, causing them to degenerate more quickly.

Can gray hair become colored again?

There are case reports of people who have reversed gray hair and regained their original hair color.

For example, neurologists reported that a woman who received Mucuna pruriens extract had white hair in some parts of her hair turn black again.

Mucuna pruriens, sometimes called Bengal velvet bean, is sometimes used as an alternative adjunct treatment for Parkinson's disease. Mucuna pruriens contains L-dopa, which is a precursor to dopamine, a substance that is lacking in Parkinson's patients. L-dopa is also a precursor to melanin pigment. Therefore, it stands to reason that sometimes some anti-Parkinson's supplements and medications can reverse graying of hair ( R ).

Other examples of gray hair reversal have been observed in some cancer patients treated with immunotherapy: they reported that their gray hair became darker again ( R ).

In fact, there are many case reports of people who have regained their hair color after taking certain medications. These are often anti-inflammatory drugs (eg, adalimumab), inducers of pigment production (erlotinib, levodopa, erlotinib) or vitamins (eg, certain B vitamins) ( R ).

Many of these drugs have serious negative side effects, so it is not recommended to take these drugs just to improve hair color (also, hair color only returned in a small number of people who took these drugs).