Why Does Hair Turn Gray Over Time?
Nashia Baker
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Our bodies are constantly changing, and with time, our skin and hair change, too. Let's focus on the latter. As we age, hair often thins or falls out altogether, and virtually all women experience color fading. But why, exactly does hair turn gray? Here, our experts break down why this happens and what it means in the context of your health.
Why does hair turn gray?
Graying is, ultimately, a natural process. "As we get older, the cells in our hair follicles that produce melanin (pigment) gradually reduce, causing our strands to grow in unpigmented or white," says Anabel Kingsley, a consulting trichologist and the brand president of Philip Kingsley. She notes that "gray" is not an actual hair pigment. In reality, it is a color that results from the normal pigment of your hair blending with white. "Your hair color turns from gray to white when all hair pigment cells stop being produced," she explains.