Busting myths on grey hair

At a certain point in life, we all look in the mirror and start to think we look old.

And going grey can definitely add to the feeling. But before you freak out about the silver strands that have newly appeared, bust these myths first.

MYTH #1: STRESS CAUSES GREYING

Your stressful job isn't a factor that causes greying, so you can stop worrying about that.

The fact that you started to go grey after getting a new job has more to do with how much time has passed, rather than how stressed you are, and the factor that determines greying the most is actually genetics, not your work-life balance.

MYTH #2: YOU CAN GO GREY OVERNIGHT

Now that you know that grey hair is either inevitable or not, going grey all of a sudden is not going to happen. If you know anyone who "went grey overnight", it's because they stopped dyeing their hair.

MYTH #3: PLUCKING MAKES MORE GREY HAIRS GROW

Plucking a grey hair out just means the same grey hair might grow back again, but it's not recommended to do that because plucking also might permanently damage the hair follicle, meaning it'll never grow back ever. Hair loss is also a sign of ageing, so you probably don't want to do that.

MYTH #4: YOU CAN'T STOP YOURSELF FROM GOING GREY

That's mostly true - except if you're a smoker. A 2013 study found that smoking was linked to going grey prematurely, so if you find yourself surprised by the amount of grey hair on your head, you may want to consider kicking the habit.

MYTH #5: EATING SEAWEED CAN HELP YOUR HAIR STAY BLACK 

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Seaweed is high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, so eating unsalted seaweed could help your hair become thicker and stronger.

But there's no proof that it actually makes your hair stay black at the same time.

If you want healthy hair, chowing down on some seaweed wouldn't hurt at all, but if you want to cover the greys, just go for a bottle of cover-up or dye instead.

This article was first published in CLEO Singapore.