1. There's More To Gray Hair Than Meets the Eye
Hair has two main parts: the follicle and the shaft. The follicle is a little pouch underneath the scalp where the hair grows. The shaft is the actual hair that grows out of our heads. Within the follicle is melanin, the chemical that produces pigment in the skin as well as in the hair. The more melanin a person has in their body, the darker their hair (and skin) is.
2. It's not Gray Hair, it's Canities
As we age, the melanin stored in the hair follicles dries up and hair begins to fade from brown, black, blonde or red to silver, white and gray. "Gray" hair is really a mix of white hair and darker hair. It sometimes referred to as canities. Gray (or pigment diluted) hairs tend to grow in thinner than darker hair and has a wiry, less manageable texture.
3. Gray Doesn't Translate to old
Lots of people find gray hair in the teens and twenties, however it doesn't mean that your body is aging faster than everyone else. You can blame mom and dad for any early gray hairs you may find. Genetics is the key factor in premature graying. Rest assured all your college roommates will eventually turn gray as well. Everybody does. Some people don't start graying until they are in their forties, fifties or even sixties.
4. Myths, Urban Legends and old Wives' Tales
It is nearly impossible to turn gray overnight, no matter how badly you are frightened. The body just doesn't work that way. Another popular old wives' tale claims that if you pluck a gray hair, twenty more (or thirty, or forty ) will grow in its place. Again, it's not true.
5. Gray Hair Going Going Gone
Going gray, which for most people will be a gradual process, is a fact of life. It's going to happen. You do have a couple of options. You can color it or you can leave it be. If you choose to color your hair, use a permanent dye, preferably one designed for grays. Keep in mind that "permanent color" isn't forever. It will fade and there will be the inevitable roots to deal with. Coloring gray hair also takes more time, since the hair shaft takes longer to absorb the dye.
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