When you spot a grey hair, the urge to pluck it out feels almost automatic. But then an old belief surfaces. People believe that pulling out one grey hair will cause several more to grow. This leads to an obvious question: Is there any truth to this claim, or is it just another long-standing myth?
How Hair Loses Its Natural Colour
Hair gets its natural colour from melanin. This pigment is also responsible for the colour of our skin and eyes. As we get older, the body gradually produces less melanin. As a result, the cells inside the hair follicle begin to weaken.
What Actually Happens?
If you think that pulling out one grey hair causes others to grow, that is not true. Each hair grows from its own separate follicle, and these operate independently of each other. Grey strands occurs only when the pigment cells in a follicle stop producing melanin.
However, this does not mean you can repeatedly pluck out grey hairs. Doing so can damage the hair follicles and may cause multiple problems, such as infection, scarring, and small bald patches. Hair may grow thinner, or in some cases, stop growing altogether.
Safer Ways
Many people accept their grey hair. However, if someone feels the need to remove a grey hair, trimming is a safer option. One can carefully cut the hair with scissors. If someone wants to colour their hair, that is also a good option. These methods help avoid unnecessary damage to the hair follicles.
