Can you prevent or reverse grey hair?

People can begin greying in their 20s or keep their natural colour into their 80s. Read more at straitstimes.com.

NEW YORK – For something universal, greying remains oddly mysterious.

Each strand of hair starts out nearly translucent, and its colour is determined by melanin, essentially pigment dust. If it is packed densely, you get dark hair. Leave only a few black and brown specks, and it appears blond.

Over time, the pigment-producing cells in each hair follicle tend to slow or shut down, turning hair grey, said Professor Desmond Tobin, director of the Charles Institute of Dermatology at University College Dublin in Ireland.

These strands tend to be stiffer and harder to control, growing 10 per cent faster than pigmented hairs. Some people embrace them as a part of ageing. Others see them as a nuisance – to be dyed, plucked or hidden.

But scientists are not sure what sets greying in motion or how much control one has over it. People can begin greying in their 20s or keep their natural colour into their 80s. Although the process seems to be largely irreversible, researchers are finding that colour can sometimes return – in patches and in darker roots.

For now, there is no silver bullet to prevent or reverse greying, but experts are trying to untangle the issue and develop solutions.