Psychological Stress Causes Hair To Turn Grey

We all have heard that stress can affect our mental health but have physical effects. The study recently found that stress can cause hair to turn grey. If you’re in your late 20s or early 30s and you’re facing grey hair it might be your stress. 

At Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, researchers have discovered the first statistical indication regarding the relationship between psychological stress and greying hair in humans.

The outcomes were published in the eLife journal (an open-access scientific journal related to biomedical and life sciences). Though it may appear intuitive that stress quickens greying, the researchers were amazed to find that when stress is released, the hair colon can be restored. This discovery contradicts a recent mice study according to which, stressed-induced grey hairs are permanent.

The study’s principal author, Martin Picard, Ph.D., associate professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia University, “the research has larger importance as compared to verifying age-old assumption regarding the effects of stress on hair color.”

Picard states, “By understanding the process that permits ‘old’ gray hairs to convert to their ‘young’ pigmented states could help in finding new hints about the flexibility of human aging generally and how it is affected by stress.”

Well, there is science behind how our hair turns grey:

Melanin and hair color: 

 Melanin plays an important role in hair color. If melanocytes produce less melanin your hair will turn grey or white. 

Stress and Melanocyte: 

When in stress, it releases norepinephrine it can overstimulate melanocyte stem cells in hair follicles. These cells are responsible for restoring melanocytes. And under stress, the melanocyte cells migrate away or die. 

Stress and Nervous system: 

When you’re in stress you get into fight-or-flight mode which is controlled by the nervous system. This response releases cortisol and norepinephrine. 

Oxidative Stress:

Stress also produces oxidative stress in the body. It is a condition in which harmful radicals overwhelm the body’s ability to repair damage. It can also harm melanocytes which results in melanin production. 

Genetic and age: 

Stress can accelerate greying, but genetics and age will remain the primary factors. People can also face genetic or age-related changes in melanocyte function. 

Can Stress-Induces Grey hair be reserved? 

Some studies suggest that stress-induced grey hair may sometimes be reversible if the stress is temporary. By reducing stress and improving overall health, the melanocyte stem cells regain functionality. 

You can reduce chronic stress through mindfulness, exercise, or getting professional help which can help maintain overall hair health and delay stress-related greying.