Why hair turns gray and what might fix it
The possibilities of correction of premature greying of hair and involutive hair changes
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Hair turns gray early for different reasons depending on your background, and it's often because of stress, genes, or not enough vitamins. Scientists think a chemical imbalance in the hair follicle causes it, and there's a special molecule and body system that might help bring back color or grow hair better.
Surprising Findings
Vitamin B12 deficiency can rarely reverse gray hair.
Most people assume gray hair is permanent and genetic—this suggests a simple nutrient fix might work in rare cases, challenging the idea that graying is irreversible.
Practical Takeaways
If you’re experiencing premature graying, get tested for B12, iron, and copper deficiencies before trying expensive treatments.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Hair turns gray early for different reasons depending on your background, and it's often because of stress, genes, or not enough vitamins. Scientists think a chemical imbalance in the hair follicle causes it, and there's a special molecule and body system that might help bring back color or grow hair better.
Surprising Findings
Vitamin B12 deficiency can rarely reverse gray hair.
Most people assume gray hair is permanent and genetic—this suggests a simple nutrient fix might work in rare cases, challenging the idea that graying is irreversible.
Practical Takeaways
If you’re experiencing premature graying, get tested for B12, iron, and copper deficiencies before trying expensive treatments.
Publication
Journal
Medical alphabet
Year
2024
Authors
E. A. Shatokhina, A. V. Topskaya, L. S. Kruglova
Related Content
Claims (6)
If your hair is turning gray because you don’t have enough vitamin B12, fixing that deficiency might bring back your natural hair color—but this hardly ever happens, and it won’t work if something else is causing the graying.
People from different ethnic backgrounds start going grey at different ages — if you're Caucasian, going grey before 20 is considered early; for Asians, before 25; and for Africans, before 30.
There's a special ingredient called palmitoyl tetrapeptide-20 that some products claim can stop hair from turning gray and even bring back its original color.
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.
Some people start going gray early because of things like their genes, thyroid problems, really stressful events, or not getting enough of certain nutrients like B12, iron, or copper.