We explain how gray hair occurs, what remedies there are to combat it, and how you can appear attractive despite having white hair
Sooner or later, we all get it: gray hair. For some people, this happens in their mid-20s, and for others, it is only in their 50s that they find their first gray hair. Here you can find out why it varies so much from person to person, how exactly gray hair occurs, and whether you can delay graying.
Why do men get gray hair?
For the same reason as women, our hair grows from hair roots, which contain cells that are responsible for the color of our hair. In technical jargon, these cells are called melanocytes, and the color pigments are called melanin.
As soon as the hairs become visible on the surface of the scalp, they are pigmented horny threads. They show the information they learned in the cell: blonde curls, for example. The color and structure no longer change. Because as soon as they become visible, the hair is essentially dead matter that can no longer receive information from the root.
But why is my hair suddenly growing gray?
To produce the hair pigment melanin, the body needs the amino acid tyrosine. If there is not enough of this, melanin is no longer produced in the cell. During hair production, it is then replaced by empty spaces called “vacuoles.”. “If melanin is missing, the hair grows back colorless or white,” explains Dr. Frank-Matthias Schaart, a dermatologist and hair expert from Hamburg.
Gray hair is usually an optical illusion; the combination of white, colorless, and still-pigmented dark hair makes the hair appear gray overall.
Is gray hair normal in your 20s or 30s?
Don’t worry; the fact that more and more hair grows gray throughout your life is a natural, genetically determined process. Melanin production in the hair roots slows down until the body eventually stops producing it completely.
When the time comes depends on various factors: genes, diet, and lifestyle, for example. When the first white hair appears, it is different for everyone. For Central Europeans, this usually begins in their mid-30s, and for Africans and Asians, it begins much later. But some people get gray hair at 20 or 25. This is just as normal as getting gray hair at 50 or 60.
Why does stress cause gray hair?
It is very unlikely that you will suddenly grow gray hair due to a stressful phase at work. But “Stress can be a trigger for hair loss and therefore for premature graying of the hair,” explains hair expert Schaart.
How come? “If breakdown products from stress hormones accumulate in the body, they can trigger hormonal hair loss. Since dark hair is less firmly anchored in the hair root than unpigmented hair, dark hair falls out more quickly when stress is prolonged, leaving gray hair behind.”
Can I prevent gray hair with the right diet?
Poor nutrition or hyperacidity are suspected to trigger graying due to a lack of nutrients. “However, there is no study that shows that a specific food can prevent gray hair,” says dermatologist Schaart.
However, since pigmented hair is less firmly anchored in the hair roots for reasons that are still medically unclear, a healthy diet and lifestyle that generally protect the body’s cells can help ensure that they remain on the head longer.
The recommendations are: fruit, vegetables, and proteins provide the body with plenty of nutrients, while coffee, alcohol, and sugar are acidic and nutrient robbers. And: “Including additional tyrosine in your diet to prevent or delay the graying of your hair has proven to be ineffective,” says dermatologist Schaart.
What can I do about gray hair?
Which remedy is the right one depends on the stage of graying. Is it just a few hairs, or is the whole head white? This helps:
1st stage: gray hair here and there
Do you have a few gray strands sprouting in your otherwise strong hair? This can have many reasons: age, stress, diet, and the like. Check whether and what has changed in you and, if possible, stop it; perhaps dark hair will grow back again.
Anti-gray shampoos promise that with regular use, color pigments can accumulate specifically in the empty spaces responsible for the white color to replace the color pigments that are missing there (e.g. Alpecin Tuning Braun Shampoo). “This gives the hair its natural color back,” explains Rudolf Reisbeck, vice president of the Central Association of the German Hairdressing Trade.
2nd stage: gray temples and first white whiskers
You first see the precursor to complete graying on the temples and beard, where the hair has a shorter lifespan. At this stage, the production of the color pigment melanin has already been reduced.
Tip: If you want to camouflage the graying, a repigmentation product (for example, Re-Nature from Schwarzkopf ) that you massage into your hair every 6 to 8 weeks will help. A precursor to the color pigments is introduced deep into the hair roots, where they then develop.
Reisbeck: “The good thing about repigmentation is that the color changes don’t happen so suddenly because the hair only gets back its natural color after a few days.” So you don’t suddenly look “colored.”. By the way, no one will notice that you have dyed your hair.
3rd stage: completely gray
Are you already completely gray? Then you don’t have the opportunity to produce melanin. Hair that grows back is white or colorless. What’s more, you no longer have darker hair, which visually weakens the effect. You now have two options: 1.: Tint or dye the gray hair. Or 2: Simply wear your gray hair with pride and make sure it looks well-groomed.
Hairdressers can help men, no matter what stage of graying they are at. But be careful: dyed hair quickly looks unnatural, especially if it was completely gray the day before. “Men rarely come to the salon wanting to dye their hair because they are afraid that it will look too artificial,” says hairdresser Markus Salm.
What do I have to consider if I want to dye gray hair?
“I would never dye gray hair, but rather tint it, as it doesn’t completely cover the white hair but allows it to show through slightly here and there. That looks much more natural!
“A good alternative is to conceal gray areas with combed strands in a natural tone. The hairdresser combs the hair color specifically into white areas of the hair but leaves out a few hairs so that the color does not end up looking helmet-like.
Tip: It’s best to get advice from your hairdresser when choosing a color. Hair that is too dark makes men appear older than they are. Therefore, it is always better to choose a tone that is too light rather than too dark. Remaining and growing gray hairs are also less noticeable. Because the color gradually becomes weaker every time you wash your hair. It’s best to re-dye your hair whenever you’re going to get your hair cut anyway.
By the way, you can also tint gray beards. “Most gray beards generally look cool,” says Markus Salm. “However, with some, you can partially help with a tint. The same applies here: slight transparency increases the naturalness.” Here we tell you which beards will be popular in 2023.
What helps against a yellow tinge in rough hair?
Have you decided to own your gray hair?
Then you’re in good company: Ryan Reynolds, Ben Affleck, and Bastian Schweinsteiger show how attractive this look can be. If it is properly cared for, white hair is more sensitive than dark hair. They cannot protect themselves well against UV light due to a lack of melanin. Chlorine, nicotine and car exhaust fumes accumulate more visibly in them.
Consequence: The hair takes on a yellow tinge.
A silver shampoo helps against this (e.g., Brews Silver Charge Shampoo from Redken). It contains violet pigments. Purple is the opposite of yellow on the color wheel. This means that the two tones neutralize each other according to the complementary color principle. The result is silvery-gray hair.
For an intensive effect, it is best to let the shampoo work for 1-2 minutes while you lather the rest of your body with shower gel and shower off. Afterward, you should rinse your hair as quickly as possible. If silver shampoo is left on the head for too long, the hair will take on a purple tinge. You may have heard this from older women and men.
Is that too sensitive for you? Then you can have your hairdresser give you a silver tint that lasts about 4 weeks. When you trim, you can refresh the cool shine again.
Can I simply pluck gray hair?
As the saying goes: “If you pluck gray hair, two new ones will grow.” Complete nonsense! “You lose the battle against gray hair,” says star hairdresser Manfred Kraft. “That’s just the way things go. The older you get, the more gray hair you get. That’s why it may seem like after the first hair you pull out, you’ll get many more gray hairs.”
Even if it doesn’t accelerate graying, you shouldn’t pluck white hairs. This damages the hair roots in the long term and can lead to originally straight hair suddenly becoming frizzy and wiry, or, in the worst case, not growing back at all. And then you’d rather have gray hair than no hair at all, right?
Which haircuts suit gray hair?
Star hairdresser Tobias Tröndle from Frankfurt believes that gray hair makes men more interesting. For gray hair, he tends to recommend short, precise haircuts à la George Clooney, David Beckham, or Ben Affleck. “Longer hair often appears dry, brittle, and difficult to style. It requires intensive care and a lot of moisture. There are only a few exceptions, such as Colin Farrell’s hair,” says the expert. Here we have the coolest celebrity hairstyles for receding hairlines for you.
Conclusion: Make gray hair your advantage instead of a flaw
“I observe that today’s men are self-confident and have no problem with gray hair,” says trendy hairdresser Tröndle. There are so many ways to create an attractive gray with light tints, a good cut, and appropriate care that the loss of color becomes an image gain for men.
