Will people really turn gray overnight when under great pressure or blow?

Many of you have heard of the story of "Wu Zixu's hair turned white overnight after he crossed Zhaoguan Pass". In many movies and TV series, we often see the protagonist's hair turning white overnight when he encounters a major change or is under too much pressure.

So, in real life, is it really possible to turn your hair white overnight?

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0 1Why does hair turn white?

Human hair and body hair all grow from hair follicles, and the melanocytes that determine hair color originate from melanocyte stem cells.

Some melanocyte stem cells in the hair follicles will differentiate into melanocytes during the growth phase. Melanocytes synthesize pigments and add color to the regenerated hair.

As we age, the total amount of melanocyte stem cells gradually decreases, so the color of our hair will slowly become lighter. When the melanocyte stem cells in all the hair follicles are completely consumed, the hair will turn white.

0 2Will stress cause gray hair?

When people are under stress or pressure, the sympathetic nerves will release "norepinephrine", the main source of which is the adrenal glands, and another source is the sympathetic nerves. The raised area of ​​the scalp hair follicles is highly controlled by sympathetic nerve cells. When people are under stress or pressure, it will cause the sympathetic nervous system to increase the release of norepinephrine. This hormone is very active when dealing with stress and drives the body to respond by fighting back or escaping.

At the same time, it can also cause melanocyte stem cells to overreact, causing premature exhaustion of melanocyte stem cells in hair follicles. Due to the lack of melanocyte stem cells, sufficient melanocytes cannot be converted to color the hair, and the hair begins to lighten or turn white.

So although the saying “turning hair grey overnight” is a bit exaggerated, excessive stress can indeed cause hair to turn grey quickly and cause premature greying.

In addition to stress, staying up late, lack of nutrients, excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays, long-term smoking and lack of exercise, not taking care of hair, frequent dyeing and perming, etc. will all accelerate the growth of gray hair!

0 3Can gray hair turn back to black?

Gray hair is not irreversible. If the melanin abnormality is caused by certain acquired diseases, by removing the obstacle or pathogenic factors, the hair follicles can synthesize melanin again and the new hair will turn black.

In daily life, keep a good mood, pay attention to a balanced diet, eat more dietary fiber, fresh vegetables, fruits, and foods containing iron and copper, which can promote melanin synthesis and make hair darker.

In addition, you can also perform scalp massage regularly, which can accelerate local blood and cytokine circulation, increase nutrition of hair follicles, improve pigment cell function, enhance cell activity, accelerate division, and increase melanin secretion.

Of course, you also need to actively take care of your hair, wash your hair at an appropriate frequency (2-3 days/time), pay attention to the stimulation of chemicals, try not to perm or dye your hair, and keep your hair in its natural state to be the healthiest!

Reference sources: Healthy Jilin, I am a Great Doctor, Healthy Nanning