Why Does Hair Turn Gray?

By Sarah B. Weir

Article Reprintgrey hair

There is one thing most presidents have in common at the end of their first terms: more gray hairs. The graying of the Commander-in-Chief is symbolic of the stress associated with being top dog in the world’s most powerful nation. However, research shows that psychological stress does not, in fact, impact the color of one’s locks.

For both presidents and the rest of us, gray hair is simply a part of the normal aging process, and the rate you go silver is genetically predetermined. Going gray is not associated with earlier mortality, and premature graying is not, generally speaking, a sign of a illness or ill health in younger adults. There are, however, some specific health conditions, such as vitiligo (an autoimmune disorder that causes uneven pigmentation) associated with gray or white hair, but for most of us, going gray is just a fact of life.

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