We all try to cover it, but gray hair definitely has a mind of its own. Every year, people spend millions of dollars on products that will prevent and cover gray hair in an attempt to slow the aging process. However, those pesky gray hairs keep popping up!

It is estimated that just over 40% of Americans have gray hair before their 40th birthday, but children and young adults can also have gray hair. Where does all of this gray hair come from? Genetics does play a role in when gray hair will start to grow in but stress, hormonal changes, and the use of tobacco have also been shown to cause gray hair.

As we age, our hair loses its pigmentation. The hair stops producing melanin, causing the hair that grows in the follicle to lose vibrancy. There will still be color in the hair, but it won’t be as bright as it was before. White hair is different because it is caused by total absence of melanin.

There have been some positive steps in the search to end gray hair. Scientists are looking into the workings of a couple of genes thought to play a role in graying and French scientists have found that a cancer drug used to treat patients with leukemia was effective in the fight against gray hair. Patients who had gray hair before taking the drug noticed color was restored to their hair. Scientists are now trying to learn how this accidental discovery can help in the fight against gray hair.

So many products are on the market claiming to prevent gray hair, but none of them seem to work! People have taken supplements, vitamins, and applied various products to their hair in an attempt to prevent gray hair, but all in vain.

It is common for people, especially women, to turn to hair dye in order to cover gray hair up. Gray hair can often be difficult to dye, and it may be best to go to a hair care professional in order to get 100% gray coverage. If you do choose to color gray hair, know that you will have to color your gray roots every four to six weeks in order to maintain your desired look.

Like death and taxes, gray hair is inevitable. However, it is not as bad a condition as it has been in the past. We have many more choices when it comes to covering up, and now that science is on our side, we will soon have even more.