When your hair turns grey, the cells in the hair might be changing how they use energy and protect themselves, turning up certain proteins that help with these jobs.

Going gray isn’t just about getting older — it’s because of damage from stress inside the hair roots, where too much hydrogen peroxide builds up and the body can’t fight it off anymore.

Scientists think that when there’s too much damage from natural body chemicals (oxidative stress) and not enough protection from helpful antioxidants, it might cause hair to turn gray earlier than normal.