A certain ingredient might help prevent hair from going grey by protecting the cells that give hair its color, at least in lab tests using real human scalp tissue.

When the energy factories inside hair follicles don't work right, they make too many harmful molecules that damage the color-producing cells, making hair turn gray faster.

Too much oxidative stress might lead to fewer pigment-producing cells in hair and cause hair to lose color, based on lab studies that simulate this stress in human hair follicles.

Too much stress from oxygen-related chemicals in your hair roots might damage the cells that give hair its color, leading to gray hair — especially when stuff like hydrogen peroxide builds up and harms those color-making cells.

As we age, damage from oxidative stress can harm the cells that give hair its color, especially because the body’s natural antioxidants weaken over time — this leads to grey hair.

Using antioxidant-rich products on your skin or taking them as supplements might help turn some gray hairs back to their original color by protecting hair roots and helping pigment cells work better.