Gray hair is a natural part of aging, but your personal opinions about it are likely influenced by culture. Whether you embrace your gray strands or can’t get rid of them fast enough, you’ve probably been exposed to unhelpful misinformation about gray hair. Here are six gray hair myths debunked.
Plucking a Gray Hair Causes More to Grow
If you’re ripping out your gray hair, stop right now. While it’s not true that plucking a gray hair will cause more to grow in its place, it’s still a bad idea. That’s because when you pull a strand of hair out of your scalp, you may damage the hair follicle, leading to permanent hair loss. Eek!
You Could Wake Up With a Head of Gray Hair
Not unless you went to bed that way. No matter how stressed you are, you won’t suddenly wake up with a head full of gray hair. Although stories of hair turning white overnight exist throughout history (most notably Marie Antoinette), there’s no evidence that this can actually happen. In fact, historians believe such stories may more correctly be attributed to alopecia areata or hair dye washing out. Since gray hair grows out from the root, your existing strands won’t turn silver overnight.
Your Hair Gradually Turns Gray
While it may seem like your hair is gradually turning gray, that’s due to the effect of gradually gaining more strands of gray hair. In reality, individual strands of hair do not gray gradually. Instead, when your cells begin producing less melanin, new gray strands grow when older pigmented strands are shed. So although it may appear that your hair is gradually turning gray as a whole, individual strands grow in completely gray from the root.
Gray Hairs Grow in Coarse
Many people believe gray hair is coarse, and it may feel that way. But that’s due to your follicles producing less sebum along with less melanin. Without the natural oils you’re used to, your hair is likely to feel dry and rough. Fortunately, there’s a simple solution. Just use a good conditioner, like Terrace Garden, to replenish the moisture in your hair. And give it a little extra TLC as needed with a DIY hair mask.
Dyeing Your Hair Will Make It Turn Gray
You may have heard this myth from older relatives trying to discourage you from dyeing your hair. Or maybe you’ve used this line on your own kids! But there’s no good evidence that dyeing your hair leads to premature graying. It is, however, true that hair dye can be pretty harsh on your tresses, so it’s fine to be sparing with the dye all the same.
Everyone Goes Gray Around the Same Age
Nope! The age at which you go gray is determined by a whole host of things, including your race, genes, and environmental factors. Some people begin growing gray hair in their 20s, while others, like the Red Yao, don’t get their first grays until their 80s! While you can’t do anything about your genes, leading a healthy lifestyle, managing your stress, and taking good care of your hair can help your tresses stay younger longer.
Whether you’re dreading the day you first spot a gray hair or are already rocking silver tresses, keeping your hair healthy is the most important thing. So keep your mane in top shape with nourishing products like Viori. Learn more about our ingredients here.