Is stress making my hair turn gray? A study shines new light on a 'gray' area.
For years, we have watched presidents’ hair go gray and we used that as empirical evidence that stress can, indeed, cause gray hair.
But does it?
A recent study conducted at Columbia University found that while on vacation, gray hair may revert back to its original color, which suggests a link between stress and gray hair – with the exciting possibility that it may be reversible.
Additionally, a 2020 study conducted on mice found the connection between stress and gray hair may be plausible. Researchers found that under acute stress, hair in mice turns gray because an overactive sympathetic nervous system (“fight or flight”) can lead to the rapid depletion of melanocyte stem cells, the cells involved in creating pigment.
There are significant limitations to this study, (the major being that it was conducted on mice) but the general consensus among professionals suggests that stress, along with genetics and ethnicity, may contribute to the development of gray hair.
Does stress accelerate aging, gray hair?
While there may not be a direct link between stress and gray hair, there is strong evidence that suggests stress can lead to various health and cognitive issues.
Dr. Patricia Simone is a cognitive neuroscientist and professor of psychology at Santa Clara University. The focus of her research is cognitive aging, and what factors influence long-term memory in older adults and children.
“The real concern here is prolonged chronic stress," Simone, who uses both she/her and they/them pronouns explains. "If we're able to respond and move on, that is less of a problem than if we ruminate and continue to experience stress even when the situation is no longer present.
"This is a positive feedback loop. Long-term stress is bad for our health, and health challenges make dealing with stress harder to do,” they note. In other words, stress makes our health worse, and worse health makes stress worse, and it’s a cycle that’s tough to break.
“People who report having experienced moderate to high stress over the long term have been shown to have changes in different brain structures that are important for memory and cognition,” adds Simone.
Do gray hairs from stress go away?
She emphasizes that people have more control over stress and aging than they realize. “It's interesting to note that it is the perception of stress that is important. How we perceive a situation matters. So if we feel we have the resources to handle the situation we're less likely to experience chronic stress."
Simone gives a few tips for reducing stress:
Relaxation techniques (e.g., yoga, breathing, meditation).
Social engagement. Volunteering just two hours a week can help us maintain our functional ability and handle stressful situations.
More about your stress, hair struggles here:
Tips for a more beautiful head of hair: Googling how to get your tresses thickened? A primer on how to get thicker hair.
Are you struggling with hair loss?: It could be a vitamin deficiency.
Can stress make you sick? The answer might surprise you.
Chronic stress can be a serious problem: How to spot the symptoms
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Grey hair: Could it be caused by stress? Science has an answer
