How To Reverse Gray Hair
Can grey hair even be reversed? The answer is a most definite yes. I know for certain because I have observed this with my own hair.
I’m still young (early 30s) but I have a lot of gray hair, though not very noticeable without close inspection. Nevertheless, it has bothered me that I’m going grey so fast. I therefore did some research to see if I could reverse what I would consider premature graying, which raised my hopes that there was a possibility to delay further greying, and even reverse some. I took some action and I did observe at least one gray hair reverse color. I know it reversed because I could see that it was black at the root but gray at the end. I’ll go into more details on what I did, and the results I got. But let me share some of the research I found on this subject.
What causes gray hair?
Hair follicles contain pigment cells which are responsible for giving color to your hair. These pigment cells are called melanocytes. As you age, they slow down until they totally stop working to produce color. This results in gray hair. The length of time for which the melanocytes continue to fully function is said to be hereditary. That is, the age at which you are likely to go gray is hereditary.
So if one of your parents went gray early, there is a strong chance that you will too (depending on whether you inherited the gene or genes responsible for the hair coloring cells from this parent). In my case, my father went gray quite early, so it seems I inherited this early graying from him.
Although it is expected that the melanocytes will eventually stop working as you get older, there are things that may contribute to premature failure of these cells, causing you to go grey ahead of time. The following are linked to premature gray hair:
- Thyroid disorders
- Smoking cigarettes
- Deficiency in vitamin B-12
- Early menopause
- Lack of copper
- Lack of zinc
- Weak kidney (Eastern medicine has long cited this as a cause for grey hair)
- Excess build up of hydrogen peroxide (see http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/29468796/?GT1=43001)
- Stress (this is a factor because one uses more of the minerals and vitamins necessary to preserve hair colour when under stress)
From the above, we can see that there are some things we can do to prevent premature gray hair, if not reverse the trend. For eg. Ensuring adequate vitamin B12 intake, along with sufficient copper and zinc, probably would help. If you smoke, then ceasing this practice may also slow down the graying process. Managing your stress is another thing you can take charge of.
Remedies said to Reverse Gray hair or slow its Formation
I cannot vouch for the effectiveness of any of these, but many have reported success using one of the following:
- Indian gooseberry also known as Amla. Some believe it is more preventative rather than curative. See Reverse Gray Hair Naturally for possible directions on how to use.
- Bee pollen. Again, this might more preserve natural hair colour than reverse gray hair.
- Blackstrap molasses. This is highly recommended by many, but others report no effect after taking it for up to 7 months. It is also said to strengthen the blood and kidneys. You might want to get some professional advice regarding taking this, as some feel it can cause kidney stones because of the calcium content. However there are things you can take with it to ameliorate this risk. Consult a doctor or nutritional professional to find out more on this.
- The herb Polygonum Multiflorum also called He Shou Wu. This may also have adverse side effects if not used in the right way, such as depression. Therefore you might also want to consult with a medical practitioner before you start using. At least do your research.
- Certain kinds of shampoo. More about this can be found at Gray Hair Shampoo
It is rumoured that the company Loreal has patents for certain solutions that will reverse gray hair. Time will tell. However, note that the popular story about a drug they developed called “Promel” that is purported to reverse grey hair is false.
Now I did mention that I have actually witnessed my own hair reversing colour going from gray to its natural colour, and I promised I would give more details on what I did and the results I got. When I initially did my research on this subject, I learnt about the important vitamins and minerals necessary for continual production of hair color. So I discovered that B12 and basically the whole B complex vitamins factored highly. I also read that paba is also necessary.
I therefore shopped for some B complex vitamins that contained paba. I started taking these. I also tried to eat an egg on most days, as I read that egg is a source of paba. Anyway, I did this for several weeks, often examining certain grey hairs to see if there was any change. After about 6 weeks, I did notice one particular grey hair begin to revert to it’s natural colour. I confess I am not absolutely sure if others reversed, though I do suspect a few others did.
My vitamins eventually finished, and I had some difficulty finding the same kinds, so I wasn’t able to keep this process up. I stopped being so concerned about my gray hair so have not actively been pursuing ways to reverse it. However, I believe I will be trying some of the purported solutions which I have referred to above. If and when I do, I will report back on the results I get. If you have any success or failure experiences of your own with any of these, please also report here so others can benefit.
Tags: amla, blackstrap molasses, grey hair shampoo, hair care, indian gooseberry, natural remedies for gray hair, reverse grey hair
October 26th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
A very perfect topic!
I’m not so much insecure about it, they just look a tad out of place. I’m wondering if there might be something lacking in my diet that would make it easier for the hair to go gray?
January 20th, 2011 at 12:50 pm
yea i am only 18 and i started going gray when i was twelve. and after all these years i finally decided to put an end to it.
see what these companies and mainstream websites dont tell u is that gray hair is definitely reversible(at least to some degree, from my experience.)the main reason anyone goes gray is because:
stress
lack of vitamins and minerals(b12.biotin,copper,zinc)
weak kidney
acidity
hereditary
and most importantly inactiveness
(see the more active you feel the more active your body will feel).
anyways, im no scientist, but i from my personal experience have been noticing that after doing all the things i have mentioned above, ive been noticing more hair growth, and hairs that are half gray and half white. its only been 1 month since i started this routine so im hoping that more results will follow. but i definity support the arguement that gray hair is reversible.
January 25th, 2012 at 7:02 pm
awww! Everyone posts about reversing greying hair, but ‘seem’ to be in the middle of trying to do so, or saying they can’t “find” the vitamins that were stopping the greying. Ya think if the vitamins stopped greying mainstream would have discovered this and been using those vitamins..(and they are readily available. PABA has especially been touted to stop greying, but I know of no one who uses/takes it has seen any change. We DO although need B vitamins if we live a stressful life (and who doesn’t these days?) Unless it is a medical condition that causes grey hair and can be corrected I think we are stuck with greying hair or coloring it. My main objection is why they can’t develope a product that can color grey eyebrow hair. It seems it is really resistant to any type of coloring. Anything used fades off rather quickly. I’d be happy just to have such a product that worked and was safe to use around the eyes. 🙂
January 25th, 2012 at 7:34 pm
Yep some even start greying at 12!! Mine kicked in about age 23 with a few at the hairline and added more each year…I didn’t much think about it until my Sister convinced me to get mine colored and now I have the upkeep. My eyebrows didn’t get any grey until mid 40s and those were tiny curly ones near the edges so I just plucked them, and until my 50’s weren’t a problem and then boom! The battle to keep a color on them began. I still haven’t found anything that stays on those stubborn greys more than a few days. Even the eyebrow mascaras don’t do the trick! If mascara stays on eyelashes all day, why won’t an eyebrow mascara stay on? Mystery to me and frustrating!
January 25th, 2012 at 7:39 pm
oops oversight. If anyone acually had a “natural” way of reversing grey, don’t you think they’d have marketed it and be a billionaire by now? Think about it. 🙂
July 25th, 2012 at 7:19 am
@Wishes. Actually financially, if you want to become a billionaire it makes more sense to let people keep ther grey hair, and buy your product every month to cover the regrowth, then to tell them how to reverse their greys by using vitamins that they can find in ther food.
December 16th, 2012 at 12:12 pm
Do you know anything about the relationship between tyrosine and gray hair?