Can You Repigment Gray Hair?

At 37 years old, I’ve never dyed my hair, and I’d love to keep it that way. I like the idea of keeping it color-free for as long as possible, both for overall hair health and the low-maintenance nature of not having to run to the salon every six-ish weeks.

But I didn’t account for the gray hairs that would start popping up earlier than expected. I began seeing them at 32, shortly after experiencing a very stressful personal event. And since then, I’ve been noticing more and more grays, especially at the front of my hair. The contrast between that and my very long, very dark hair is pretty obvious.

Now, I’m at a crossroads: Do I bite the bullet and start coloring my hair? Do I embrace the gray and learn to rock it? Or is there another option out there I can try?

Wait. Is there another option for gray hair?

It started the way so many wellness quests start: With a TikTok deep dive. While seeking out the best solutions for covering up gray hairs, I came across one of those potentially too-good-to-be-true bits of wellness intel. According to some testimonials, it’s actually possible to repigment gray hair.

Some claim they did this after incorporating supplements or addressing nutritional deficiencies. Others say that once they reduced stress, their gray hair disappeared almost immediately.

But, as we all know, not everything you see online is accurate. Is there any evidence-based way to repigment gray hair?

What the facts say about gray hair

Repigmenting gray hair isn’t some pie-in-the-sky idea. There’s actually a lot of research being done to determine whether this may be a possibility.

A 2019 systematic review looked at existing research around the possibility of a medical solution to repigment gray hair, for example.

That research indicates that hair graying takes place due to a complex process called melanogenesis. But, as the authors point out, there isn’t a great understanding of the physiological process behind hair repigmentation.

An ideal solution would permanently darken gray hairs without damage to the scalp, but so far, a medical solution doesn’t exist. That doesn’t necessarily mean lifestyle factors couldn’t help.

We need to understand why hair turns gray to fix it

We know that hair graying happens because our hair loses melanin. We've considered graying a natural part of aging, and to a large extent, it seems to be just that (although when and how it happens is variable).

According to this research, hair graying typically starts between your mid-thirties and mid-forties, though timing varies by race. By age 50, about half the population is roughly 50 percent gray. Premature graying means gray hairs appear before age 20 to 30 (again, depending on race).

So yes. Gray hair is often a normal part of aging, and when it happens is largely based on genetics as well. But, according to some findings, it may not always be a case of natural aging — and when other factors are at play, there may be a way to reverse these changes.

Could stress play a role?

That old adage that a stressful event or situation in your life is “causing you to go gray”? It’s not for nothing. Evidence backs up the theory that stress can cause graying, and a 2021 study suggests something surprising: That hair color could be restored when stress is eliminated. BRB: About to book myself a massage.

It's worth noting that these findings contradict a previous mice study suggesting that stress-induced grays are irreversible. But this research opens up bigger questions — not just about graying hair, but about the aging process itself and how stress affects it.

Listen, reducing stress is always a good idea, of course, but there are limitations to the ability to repigment gray hair by simply taking up meditation or booking a stress-free vacation.

“Based on our mathematical modeling, we think hair needs to reach a threshold before it turns gray,” says Martin Picard, Ph.D., one of the research’s authors. “In middle age, when the hair is near that threshold because of biological age and other factors, stress will push it over the threshold, and it transitions to gray. But we don’t think that reducing stress in a 70-year-old who’s been gray for years will darken their hair or increasing stress in a 10-year-old will be enough to tip their hair over the gray threshold.”

Products and their claims

There are multiple products on the market that claim to reduce graying — either by delaying future gray hairs from coming in, by repigmenting existing grays, or some combination of both.

The truth? While you may see some promising reviews, these products probably don’t represent a worthwhile way to spend your money since there’s no real scientific backing to validate their effectiveness.

Could the key lie in nutrition?

But while gray hair is often a byproduct of natural aging, it can also have other causes — like nutrient deficiencies, according to a 2018 study. The study’s authors looked at a group of people with premature graying and found a link to reduced serum iron, copper, and calcium levels.

According to Healthline, hair graying is mostly genetic and age-related, but it may be worth considering whether dietary needs could be a factor. Low calcium, copper, iron, vitamin B-12, and vitamin D levels could potentially have an effect — and based on this research, maybe I’ll have my levels checked before biting the bullet and coloring my hair. Who knows? Maybe incorporating a supplement could do the trick.

The TL;DR here?

The possibility of repigmenting gray hair seems within reach. There’s still a lot of research left to be done, and there’s still a lot of mystery surrounding this topic, but focusing on consuming nutrient-dense foods and reducing stress is always smart. And who knows? Maybe it could buy me a bit more time before I start dyeing my hair or make the decision to embrace the gray.

Hey — it’s a gray area.

Zara Hanawalt is a freelance journalist and mom of twins. She's written for outlets like Parents, MarieClaire, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Motherly, and many others. In her (admittedly limited!) free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, trying new restaurants, and traveling with her family.