WE often hear about stress causing one’s hair to turn grey. In fact, it's a trope in many movies where a character undergoes a tragedy and the hair turns colour. However, is there any truth in that? Is it true that stress will turn your hair grey?
Verdict:
TRUE
Unfortunately, it’s true that your hair will turn grey if you experience a lot of stress.
There is a type of cell in your body called melanocytes.
These cells produce a pigment called melanin, which is usually found in the skin, eyes, nasal cavity and, of course, hair. It’s this melanin that adds colour to both your hair and skin.
Your hair's melanocytes are continuously repopulated by melanocyte stem cells (McSCs) that reside in the hair follicles.
As with the other body cells, these too are affected as we age. And grey hair is usually a gradual process.
Melanocytes also play a role in our immune system. And since a highly stressed environment or situation affects the body’s immunity, this may also contribute to premature greying.
Suffice to say, prolonged exposure to stress eventually leads to changes in not only your general health, but also your hair colour.
This is because when we are feeling overwhelmed, our body releases a chemical, norepinephrine into the follicle causing the stem cells to "move out" of their home - the hair follicles.
The good news, however, is that it’s not permanent. According to a recent study, stress-induced greying of the hair can be reversed if you take away the stressor.
In other words, if you can find a way to either remove the stress or cope with it, then your grey hair might just turn dark again.
However, the study did also say that age plays a big part in whether or not your hair will revert to its original colour.
Also, if you've been grey for years, it would be fairly unlikely for you to go through a colour swap no matter how relaxed you are.
References:
2. https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/its-true-stress-does-turn-hair-gray-and-its-reversible
3. https://psychcentral.com/stress/does-stress-cause-grey-hair#stress-and-gray-hair
