For decades, humans have tried to reverse their age and keep themselves younger – whether it be by doing intensive exercises, using anti-aging products or coloring their gray hair.
But with rising levels of stress and nutritional deficiencies, more and more Americans are turning gray, well before their parents, making them desperate to return back to their natural hair color.
Emily Cahill, a 30-year-old health coach in Austin, Texas, who first saw the so-called dreadful color in her hair early 20s, told the Wall Street Journal: ‘In my soul, I feel 25. With the gray hair, it feels wrong.’
And she’s not alone. Based on a YouGov poll, one third of Americans said they would probably or definitely take a drug to prevent or reverse graying if such a medication were approved.
According to Dr. Delila Foulad, a dermatologist at UCLA Health, Caucasians start graying in their mid-30s while people of Asian and African descent typically do so in their late-30s and mid-40s, respectively.
A 31-year-old singer-songwriter in Montreal named Rosamaria La Posta said that she is ‘too young to be old’ and has been taking copper supplements to fix her grays
Natasha Johnson, a Navy veteran in Las Vegas, has been using fo-ti, which is the root of a climbing plant 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 exceedingly expensive – forcing many to resort to natural remedies.
Some have turned to natural Asian remedies, such as black sesame seeds and molasses, both prevalent in Chinese medication 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 deal with premature gray hair.
Molasses is known for its ability to tonify qi and blood flow, which promotes healthy hair.
While onion juice is most notably used in South Asian Ayurveda medication and to deal with heatwaves, it can also help grow strong hair and prevent graying due to being rich in sulphur.
The use of coconut oil has also increased 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 taken to trends and started experimenting with liquid chlorophyll and copper supplements.
Morgan Freeman has long sported gray hair on red carpets and in movies – proving that the color can look good if taken care of properly
A 31-year-old singer-songwriter in 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 fix her grays.
Natasha Johnson, a Navy veteran in Las Vegas has been using fo-ti, which is the root of a climbing plant in East Asia and can increase the number of hair follicles.
‘It makes you look older and closer to death. It looks beautiful on a lot of women, just not on me,’ she said of her gray hair.
Liquid chlorophyll, a TikTok favorite, is gaining massive popularity for its skin improvement benefits and ability to slow down the progression of gray hair by helping follicles produce melanin.
But celebrities such as Morgan Freeman, Jane Fonda, Andie MacDowell, George Clooney and Helen Mirren have long sported gray hair on red carpets and in movies – proving that the color can look good if taken care of properly.
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 Awards in Los Angeles and has been proudly showing off his look in videos with his makeup artist wife, Jillian Dempsey.