Easy tips to keep your hairstyle fresh between cuts
Simple styling of your hair can give the illusion of freshly cut hair and extend the life of your hairstyle between visits to the barber.
Problem solved, USA TODAY
It happens to everyone, whether we like it or not.
Gray hair is an inevitable part of aging and is considered an inevitable trait determined by genetics.
But many people wonder if more can be done to prevent this unwanted milestone. Here’s what you need to know:
What causes gray hair?
Hair turns gray when the specialized cells that produce melanin, the natural pigment that gives hair its color, stop regrowing. Melanin is produced at the beginning of a multi-year cycle that hair constantly goes through, but after approximately 7 to 15 cycles, melanin production stops and hair appears gray, silver, and eventually white.
Desmond Tobin, professor of dermatology at University College Dublin and director of the Charles Institute of Dermatology, said the age and range at which hair graying occurs is largely due to “strong genetic inheritance.” He added that environmental factors such as exposure to pollution and cigarette smoke, as well as lifestyle choices such as nutrition, sleep and psychological stress, can also influence hair aging.
These lifestyle choices can particularly influence whether your hair goes completely white or retains a mixed shade of its original pigment, she said. Tobin says the age at which hair turns gray is highly variable, but ranges from the mid-30s to the 40s. It is not unusual for gray hair to appear at a young age.
Can gray hair be delayed or reversed?
Experts say there is no universally accepted method or strategy to prevent the hair on your scalp from turning gray once it starts. Still, there are bright spots.
Changing your diet to include more antioxidants, such as brightly colored fruits and berries, which contain important stress-fighting compounds, can help manage the oxidative stress behind aging.
Some studies have also shown that hair follicles that are currently gray or are becoming gray may retain the ability to resume pigmentation even after clinical changes such as switching medications or treatments, Tobin said.
Will Gen Z’s hair turn gray earlier than other generations?
If you spend enough time on social media, you may have seen videos explaining why younger generations, such as Millennials and Gen Z, are aging faster than previous generations.
Tobin characterized Gen Z as an “image-obsessed generation” who seek out their first gray hairs with forensic intent, but said there may be some substance to these claims.
“Indeed, there is some new medical research from Europe and the United States that suggests that both Millennials and Generation Z may exhibit a higher biological age than previous generations of the same chronological age,” Tobin said. He added that aspects of modern life, such as long working hours and fast food, could be contributing factors.
But overall, he said, people are becoming increasingly disconnected from their genetically inherited internal clocks, which regulate circadian rhythms, sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, digestion and other functions, which could cause hair to turn gray sooner.
