Does Pulling Gray Hair Cause More? Experts Explain

Gray hair is bound to affect everyone at some point in life. For some, the loss of natural hair color starts in their early 20s , while others don’t start, one thing is for sure: pulling and plucking out gray and white strands isn’t the way to get rid of them.For years, the hair debate has existed: does pulling gray hair cause more of them in their place? We turned to three experts to find out. Plus, got their expert tips on what to do if sporting your natural gray isn't your thing.

Once the follicles produce less melanin , the result shows on the hair. The natural decrease of melanin production doesn’t happen overnight, even though it may seem like it does, and it can take anywhere from a few months to years for a single follicle to produce less melanin. Eventually, when a cluster of follicles stops producing melanin, there’s more of an all-over gray effect, resulting in shades of gray and even white hairs.

The more gray hairs you pluck from a single spot, the thinner the hair will look. And if you have a habit of doing this repeatedly, you can stunt the hair's regular growth patterns. Gaunitz saysresist plucking out gray hairs because it can create high levels of inflammation, mutate hair follicles, and reduce the volume of hair growing out of a single follicle.

Even if you can't fight the desire to yank a rogue gray hair, its absence will only be short-term. As soon as the hair is uprooted from its follicle, the growth cycle starts again. Then, it is only a matter of time before a new gray hair emerges in the same spot. Yet, as Clark explains, if you continuously pull out the same gray hair repeatedly, you risk damaging the follicle and preventing it from ever growing back.

Hands down, the best way to cover up unwanted grays is with hair dye and temporary root concealers, which work in a pinch."Multiple shades are available to match your color best," Clark says."Root concealers are available as sprays, wands, sponges, or with a brush applicator. Choose whichever is best for the area of coverage needed.

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