GREY HAIR MYTH BUSTERS

As we age, the melanin pigment in

our hair follicles decreases, causing

hair to turn grey. But thanks to

old wives’ tales, there’s still mystery

surrounding silver tresses.

We asked Toronto dermatologist

Dr. Lisa Kellett to separate

fact from fiction.

If you pull out a grey hair, three will pop up in its place.

FALSE

If you yank out a grey hair, it’s not

going to multiply, says Kellett. But

she warns against getting pluck

happy. If you’re pulling out with

force, you could permanently

damage the hair follicle, which

could lead to it ceasing to

produce hair at all.

Stress causes grey hair.

TRUE, SORT OF

This answer isn’t black and white.

There are some studies that show

that stress may affect melanin

production beneath your scalp,

but there’s no hard evidence

on the connection.

Genetics determine when

you’ll go grey.

TRUE

“There are a couple of genes that

are responsible for grey hair,” says

Kellett. It’s not exclusive to one side

of the family, so look at both your

mom and your dad’s percentages of

grey hair. “If your parents went grey,

you’re more likely to go grey.”

Dyeing your hair causes greys.

FALSE

Because hair follicles sit under

the skin, nothing you do to your

strands outside your scalp

will affect whether you go grey

or not, says Kellett.

You can laser away grey hairs.

FALSE

“Because laser hair removal

devices work on pigment,

they [don’t work] on grey hair,”

says Kellett. “I always tell people

that if they’re thinking of doing laser

hair removal, they should do

it while they’re young.”