Yes, we can reverse gray hair. No, we don’t know why it works.

There’s been so much news this year about possible gray hairs, but we can be forgiven for missing out on something that gives us hope that we can turn those gray hairs back to their normal color — no dye needed. .

In the first published study to find evidence of “natural repigmentation,”(opens in new tab) Researchers at Columbia University set out to create a computer model showing how gray hair develops in response to aging and stressful events. First, they identified 323 proteins that tell us at what point in its history hair was gray, gray, or colored. Next, she clipped colored and gray hair from 14 of her participants who listed and rated the stress of their lives over the past year. We know there is a relationship between gray hair and high stress.Just look at the ex-president’s undyed hair(opens in new tab) to see it in action.

What we didn’t expect is that the opposite could also be true. Stress-relieving events are able to restore color to exhausted fibers, which can be attributed to the protein history of the hair (in a month he grows at a rate of 1 cm fairly reliably) and the owner’s That’s what the study found when they collated histories. Normal when life stress is low.

“I was not surprised by any of the stressors associated with graying. says Rosenberg. “One participant went on a trip that lasted only two weeks, and surprisingly, five strands of hair regained their color afterwards.”

But before the devastated tourism industry celebrates this news, there is still much to be learned about the science of gray hair. (The Columbia study found that it did not occur in a few people over the age of 40.) Still, if these results could be replicated soon, and the pandemic would create a stressful event for mapping hair around the world. Therefore, the impact is very large.

why? Because we’ve always been told that too much stress is deadly and we need to fight it with mindfulness, exercise, sleep, and a well-known list. , the danger is felt far away. No one wakes up in the morning and sees calcified arteries reflected in the mirror. But when it comes to the new gray hair, many of us seem to zero out like the Terminator.

And just this time, human vanity may save us. Because in the futuristic world of preventive medicine, new gray hairs are actually worth telling your doctor about.

“Hair is unique because it’s a visible change that shows changes happening at the cellular level,” Rosenberg says. If someone suddenly develops gray hair, it is worth looking at the stress level that corresponds to that point in their life.

“I see it with my own eyes and I think people are more likely to care and make a difference.”

Stem cell solution

So what’s really going on at the cellular level when hair regains its color? Simple: Stem cells kick in. Stem cells, the raw material of a growing human body that can make any type of cell it needs, are increasingly used in a wide range of medical therapies. We are in a golden age of stem cell research.In the last few weeks we’ve learned how to eradicate HIV(opens in new tab)stop the growth of brain tumors(opens in new tab)can be injected to successfully treat heart and lung diseases(opens in new tab) with the mouse.

But hair is a relatively new field of stem cell research, and one reason is that we didn’t know hair was powerful enough to recolor our gray hairs. Melanocytes are a type of stem cell present in hair follicles. Some studies suggest that there is a limited reservoir of melanocytes. Once they’re done, so is your hair color.

“Stem cell depletion means that graying is permanent, but this has only been shown in mice,” says Rosenberg. , she adds: Say with me now: I need more study.

So, millennials in their 40s, don’t worry. Science may soon discover that extreme efforts to de-stress can reverse hair color loss at any age.(opens in new tab)) just stop shaving your head.

Alternatively, we may develop new stem cell therapies that restore melanocytes later in life. Such treatments can be abused when young gray hair uses to mask stress indicators that should be communicated to the doctor in the first place. The new perception of the ability to change could be a blow to the $23 billion global hair coloring industry (predicted to grow to $36 billion by 2027).(opens in new tab) until this news comes).

The Columbia study, on the other hand, is one of many that screams the same message loud and clear. Another surprising study earlier this year found that working five hours a day is optimal for productivity.(opens in new tab)longer than that and it starts to burn people out in the long run. Of course, there are trade-offs. CEOs who made the switch found their work cultures to be less cohesive. But the stress caused by longer days can become more significant, especially if that work culture begins to see hair loss as a sign of burnout.

In the near future, your boss may examine your head for signs of stress. I have more than 5 new gray hairs and am on forced leave. Kudos to your melanocytes.