For decades, people have tried to turn back their age and keep themselves younger – whether that’s by doing intense exercise, using anti-aging products or coloring their gray hair.
But increasing stress and nutritional deficiencies are causing more Americans to turn gray long before their parents, leaving them desperate to return to their natural hair color.
Emily Cahill, a 30-year-old health coach from Austin, Texas, who first noticed the so-called terrible color in her hair in her early 20s, told the Wall Street Journal: ‘In my soul I feel 25. With the gray hair it feels wrong.’
And she’s not the only one. Based on a YouGov poll, a third of Americans said they would probably or definitely take a drug to prevent or reverse aging if such a drug were approved.
According to Dr. Delila Foulad, a dermatologist at UCLA Health, white people start graying in their mid-30s, while people of Asian and African descent typically do so in their late 30s and mid-40s.
A 31-year-old singer-songwriter from Montreal named Rosamaria La Posta said she’s ‘too young to be old’ and has been taking copper supplements to restore her gray hair
Natasha Johnson, a Navy veteran in Las Vegas, uses fo-ti, the root of a vine found in East Asia and can increase the number of hair follicles
Patrick Dempsey, who was named PEOPLE magazine’s Sexiest Man of the Year for 2023, has been seen with gray hair since the 2007 Screen Actors Guild Award
While simply coloring gray hair is a quick and easy method, it has also become extremely expensive, forcing many to resort to natural remedies.
Some have turned to natural Asian remedies such as black sesame seeds and molasses, both of which are common in Chinese medicines, as well as onion juice and coconut oil, which are popular in South Asia.
Black sesame seeds, also known as hei zhi ma, are used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat premature gray hair.
Molasses is known for its ability to strengthen qi and blood flow, which promotes healthy hair.
Although onion juice is mainly used in South Asian Ayurveda medicine and to combat heat waves, it can also help grow strong hair and prevent graying because it is rich in sulfur.
The use of coconut oil has also increased the number of Americans as it not only improves blood circulation of the scalp but also gradually restores hair color and prevents further graying of hair.
Many have also followed the trends and started experimenting with liquid chlorophyll and copper supplements.
Andie MacDowell previously opened up about ‘how I looked badass with my gray hair’
Morgan Freeman has long gray hair on red carpets and in movies – proving the color can look good when properly cared for
In the photo: Helen Mirren, proudly with gray hair
George Clooney is one of the many celebrities who have gracefully gone gray
Jane Fonda debuted her gray hair with a pixie cut in 2014
A 31-year-old singer-songwriter from Montreal named Rosamaria La Posta told the Wall Street Journal that she is “too young to be old” and has been taking copper supplements to restore her gray hair.
Natasha Johnson, a Navy veteran in Las Vegas, uses fo-ti, the root of a vine native to East Asia that can increase the number of hair follicles.
‘You look older and closer to death. It looks great on many women, but not on me,” she said of her gray hair.
A TikTok favorite, liquid chlorophyll is gaining popularity for its skin-boosting benefits and ability to slow the progression of gray hair by helping follicles produce melanin.
But celebrities like Morgan Freeman, Jane Fonda, Andie MacDowell, George Clooney and Helen Mirren have long gray hair on red carpets and in movies – proving that the color can look good when properly cared for.
Patrick Dempsey, who was mentioned PEOPLE magazine’s Sexiest Man of the Year for 2023has been seen with gray hair since the 2007 Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, proudly showing off his looks in videos with his makeup artist wife, Jillian Dempsey.