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POLITIKOFF

Gray hair is not caused by age, stress burns pigment cells from the inside

Politiko 2025-06-27 13:50:02

Gray hair is not caused by age, stress burns pigment cells from the inside

Your natural color may return when you are less stressed.

Recent scientific studies show that gray hair is not only a sign of aging, but is often a reflection of the body's response to stress.

A 2021 study from Columbia University and the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that stress can damage the stem cells responsible for producing pigment in hair follicles, causing hair to grow black to gray.

When stress levels decreased, some participants noticed that their hair regained its natural color—no dyes, no treatments, just biological recovery.

Since hair grows about 1 cm per month, it functions as a chronology: scientists linked gray segments to periods of high stress (such as divorce or extreme fatigue) and saw the return of color after periods of rest.

This process is related to cortisol, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial function.

This means that premature graying, especially in your 20s and 30s, could be a warning sign, not just a genetic issue.

Your hair can tell you that something deeper is going on in your body—you just have to pay attention.

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