For decades, people have tried to reverse their age and stay younger – whether by doing intensive exercises, using anti-aging products or dyeing their gray hair.
But with increasing levels of stress and nutritional deficiencies, more and more Americans are turning gray long before their parents, making them desperate to return to their natural hair color.
Emily Cahill, a 30-year-old health coach in Austin, Texas, who first saw the so-called dreaded 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 is not alone. Based on a YouGov survey, one-third of Americans said they would probably or definitely take a drug to prevent or reverse graying if such a drug were approved.
According to Dr. Delila Foulad, a dermatologist at UCLA Health, Caucasians start going gray 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 Montreal singer-songwriter named Rosamaria La Posta said she is ‘too young to be old’ and has been taking copper supplements to repair her gray tones
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, named PEOPLE magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2023, has been spotted with gray hair since the 2007 Screen Actors Guild Award
Although coloring gray hair is a quick and easy method, it has also become prohibitively expensive – forcing many to resort to natural remedies.
Some have turned to natural Asian remedies, such as black sesame seeds and molasses, both common in Chinese medicine, 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 tonify qi and blood flow, promoting healthy hair.
While onion juice is especially used in South Asian Ayurvedic medicine and to manage hot flashes, it can also help grow strong hair and prevent graying due to being rich in sulfur.
The use of coconut oil has also increased the Americans, as it not only improves blood circulation in the scalp, but also gradually restores hair color and prevents further graying of hair.
Many have also embraced trends and started experimenting with liquid chlorophyll and copper supplements.
Andie MacDowell previously opened up about ‘how I looked bad with my gray hair’
Morgan Freeman has long sported gray hair on red carpets and in movies – proving that the color can look good if cared for properly
Pictured: Helen Mirren with proud gray hair
George Clooney is among several celebrities who have gone gray gracefully
Jane Fonda debuted her gray hair back in 2014 with a pixie cut
A 31-year-old Montreal singer-songwriter named Rosamaria La Posta told the Wall Street Journal that she is ‘too young to be old’ and has been taking copper supplements to repair her gray tones.
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 many women, just not on me, she said of her gray hair.
Liquid chlorophyll, a TikTok favorite, is gaining immense popularity for its skin-enhancing 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 sported gray hair on red carpets and in movies – proving that the color can look good if cared for properly.
Patrick Dempsey, who was named PEOPLE magazine’s sexiest man in 2023has been seen with gray hair since the 2007 Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles and has proudly shown off his look in videos with his makeup artist wife, Jillian Dempsey.