Blavity: Scientific Research About Gray Hair Treatment

The article, titled “What Science Actually Says About Gray Hair Treatment” (Blavity.com), reports that while there’s still no approved treatment to permanently reverse gray hair, scientists are making progress. The research traces back to an accidental discovery: dermatologists in Spain found that a cancer immunotherapy drug darkened the gray hair of 14 lung cancer patients, which sparked new interest in how graying works. These drugs, called checkpoint inhibitors, may reactivate the pigment cells that color hair, but researchers stress they’re powerful cancer medications with serious side effects and should never be used cosmetically.

Other emerging research includes a University of Tokyo study suggesting DNA damage causes pigment stem cells to vanish (in mice) and a Nagoya University study where the antioxidant luteolin slowed graying, again in mice. On the practical side, people of European descent tend to gray earliest (mid-30s), followed by Asian people (late 30s) and Black people (mid-40s), and gray hair is generally weaker, drier, and more fragile because the follicle stops producing melanin and the scalp produces less oil. The realistic options today remain covering grays with dye and addressing reversible causes like low B12, iron, or vitamin D, thyroid issues, smoking, and stress.

Dr. Michele S. Green, a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist in New York City, was featured in the article both as its medical reviewer and as a directly quoted expert. On reversibility, she explains that advanced aging of the hair follicle from stress, smoking, or imbalances can cut pigment production short, and that “in most cases when the stressor is removed, hair pigment can return.” On caring for gray or textured hair, she notes the routine may not change dramatically but may need to happen more often — because the scalp makes less oil and gray strands are more porous, moisture is key to preventing breakage, and she recommends lighter oils that hydrate without weighing hair down.

Find out more at https://blavity.com/health/gray-hair-treatment