How many times have we heard that too much stress turns hair grey? It is a known fact, it seems almost taken for granted. Stress means fatigue, wear and tear, exhaustion: all terms we associate with elderly, and therefore dog-headed, or otherwise physically shabby people, in whom the signs of time and fatigue are clearly visible, in the face as well as on the hair.
It may seem strange then, but the correlation between stress and grey hair is much less obvious than we think. We can only assume it because there are few studies on the subject and while some have found associations between premature greying and stress, no research has ever conclusively demonstrated the link in humans.
What mice tell us
Stress definitely causes greying in mice at least. A study at Harvard University subjected some specimens to various types of stress and after each test their fur became slightly whiter or greyer. A promising result but one that is difficult to replicate beyond mice because researchers cannot artificially induce responses to high levels of stress in humans as in animals.
The studies
Instead, researchers often asked test participants to fill in questionnaires about their hair colour and the levels of stress they had been subjected to in their lives, and then looked for links. This happened, for example, with a 2016 Turkish study that found that the 315 people with prematurely grey hair were subjected to higher levels of stress than those who maintained their colour. However, the former also had a history of alcohol consumption and chronic illnesses and had parents who already had grey hair at a young age.
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One step further was taken by a small 2021 study that examined the hair of 14 people and the most stressful moments they had experienced in the past 12 months. The findings showed that when a hair turned grey, it often corresponded to that person's most stressful time in the previous year.
Other possibilities
However, the exact age at which greying of the hair occurs is generally predetermined by genetics. We also know that certain diseases can lead to early pigment loss in the hair. These include vitiligo, which causes discolouration of areas of the skin, and alopecia areata, a form of hair loss. Thyroid dysfunction and chemotherapy treatments can also promote premature greying. In addition, deficiencies in iron, calcium, vitamins B12 and D, as well as obesity and smoking, are associated with this condition.
Meanwhile, let's not stress
Even if we define a correlation between stress and grey hair, however, for the time being there is little we can do to limit premature ageing, at least in today's hectic world. A better life-work balance with a four-day working week and a guaranteed minimum wage could perhaps help prevent grey hair in the future. In the meantime, if they sprout, let us not stress any further in trying to explain them.
Illustration by Gloria Dozio - Acrimònia Studios
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