One of the most frequently asked questions we're asked is whether ‘Not Today, Grey’ can reverse existing grey hair. While our daily supplement is formulated to help preserve natural hair color and not designed to reverse it, we are constantly researching ways in which reversal might be possible. It’s become clear that our minds play a powerful role in our health and well-being; and that de-stressing could be another tool we can utilize to help slow down the visible signs of aging.
So can a relaxing vacation, practicing yoga or meditation, or simply cutting down on your workload actually turn your greys around? Researchers at Columbia University set out to create a model to find out, and the results in this article about the first published study seeking evidence of “natural re-pigmentation” via Mashable are beyond exciting and intriguing.
Image Source: Mashable
In this study, researchers identified 323 proteins that indicate whether a hair was grey, white, or colored at any point in its history. Then they snipped colored and grey hairs from 14 participants, who then listed and rated their stress levels over the past year. There are studies that show potential linkages of stress to greying hair, but the reversal could also be true: de-stressing events could bring the color back. That's what the study found when it matched the protein history of the hairs (which was one centimeter per month) with the history of their owners. They found that some normal-colored hairs had actually been grey in the past year, but went back to normal when their stress level was low.
"One participant went on just a 2-week trip, and amazingly enough, five of their hairs regained color afterwards."
"I was not surprised by any of the stressors that correspond with graying; I was surprised to see how strong of an impact a vacation had on the reversal of graying," says Ayelet Rosenberg, lead author on the study. "One participant went on just a 2-week trip, and amazingly enough, five of their hairs regained color afterwards.
There's still a lot to discover about the science of grey hair, and while more studies are needed to find the answers to the re-coloring effect, we are very excited about the effects proactive measures can have on preventing, and even reversing grey hair.
Read the full Mashable article here.