# Gray Hairs

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-hairs/116179>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 27, 2002, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-hairs/116179 "2002-06-27T04:21:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2002, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-hairs/116179/1 "2002-06-27T04:21:42Z")

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I’m starting to get gray hairs and it doesn’t bother me, but one of them’s got me confused. The end of the hair is gray, but the root of the hair’s just as dark as the rest of them! Huh? I thought once you went gray, you never went back, and yet, here’s a hair that started out gray, but is slowly returning to its mouse brown color. Any idea what gives?

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**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-hairs/116179/2 "2002-06-28T06:51:40Z")

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Maybe there is on and off production of melanin:

> [@](#):
>
> White or gray hair color occurs when the pigment-producing cells no longer produce melanin or the melanocytes are absent.

See [http://www.hairless.net/hairbiol.html](http://www.hairless.net/hairbiol.html)

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**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-hairs/116179/3 "2002-06-28T07:04:35Z")

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**Tuckerfan** , I see the same thing on some of MY gray hairs! So you are not alone.

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**Author:** ![Spooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Spooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spooky)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-hairs/116179/4 "2002-06-28T07:21:29Z")

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Hey, I’ve been wondering about this strange phenomenon for years!

Nice to know it’s not just me.

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**Author:** ![flapcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@flapcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flapcats)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-hairs/116179/5 "2002-06-28T12:31:11Z")

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I also had a two tone hair.

What could I do to ensure I don’t stop producing melanin?

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**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-hairs/116179/6 "2002-06-28T14:25:41Z")

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On a more macroscopic level, you will probably notice that you do periodically seem to get LESS gray. The development of gray hair is not a constant rate phenomenon, and can reverse itself briefly. The overall trend is towards grayness, though.