Going gray? Fear not

By Kristin Vorce

The first time I noticed it, I thought my eyes were deceiving me. I squinted and drew my head to the mirror for a closer inspection. My jaw dropped — the verdict was undeniable.

I was 18 years old and I had a gray hair.

Two years later, however, I realize I’m not alone. Whether or not they cover it up, a number of college students have, as a friend of mine calls it, “a little sparkle.” Ms. Pressey, an instructor at a hair design school in Newark, estimates that for every 20 university students who walk into her salon, five have strands of gray hair.

TV journalist Anderson Cooper has written an essay, “Going Gray” on CNN’s Web site about the trials of graying at age 20.

“Going gray is like ejaculation,” he writes. “You know it can happen prematurely, but when it actually does, it’s a total shock.”

Alumna Lauren Butler, who graduated last year, says she started going gray around ninth grade.

“It didn’t bother me because it’s not like it made me look old or anything,” Butler says. “I thought it was pretty cool and I actually grew to kind of like it. It gave me some character.”

She says her mom went gray prematurely, so it made sense that she would as well. When Butler came to college and discovered more gray hairs, she decided to start coloring her hair.

Cathy Johnston, who has worked at Cat’s Eye Hair Salon for three years, says she has seen students sprouting gray hair.

“I’ve heard some students say they’ve been so stressed out that they go gray,” Johnston says. “Some people I guess take their studying a little more to heart than others.”

According to Adrian Dobs, an endocrinologist at Johns Hopkins University, the link between stress and graying is a myth. Instead, he blames heredity.

Human genetics professor Pat Deleon says age of onset of grayness and the pattern of grayness are genetic tendencies, determined by many factors.

“It’s not as simple as a single gene determines grayness,” Deleon says. “But if your parents go gray at a certain age, you’re likely to go gray at that same age.”

The environment also plays into the equation, she says. Excessive exposure to environmental toxins could possibly induce premature grayness. Smokers are also four times more likely to become gray at an early age.

Dobs says grayness can also be due to some autoimmune diseases. For example, some people with an underactive thyroid gray prematurely.

Although popular legend says Marie Antoinette went “white” the night before her execution, according to an article on WebMD titled “The ABCs of Premature Graying,” this is a myth — hair cannot change color overnight. The author also notes that premature graying is not a sign that the entire body’s aging process has sped up.

Another common myth is that pulling out one strand of gray hair causes several more to sprout. According to Clairol’s Web site, if a person pulls out one gray hair, only one grows back.

Johnston says whether a student freaks out in response to gray hair depends on the individual.

“I’ve seen people who don’t care at all and I’ve seen people be like, ‘Oh my God. I can’t have gray hair,’ ” she says.

The custom of covering up grays is nothing new. Ancient Egyptians, who highly valued appearance, used henna to conceal gray hair from as early as 3400 B.C., according to researchers at Minnesota State University.

Today, Clairol advertises products that cover “even the most stubborn grays” and L’Oreal Paris reminds women why they should indulge on hair dye: “because you’re worth it.”

Jamie Brady, another hairstylist at Cat’s Eye, says it is more socially acceptable for men to have gray hair than it is for women.

“Men think it’s more distinguished,” Brady says. “Women just look old.”

Hollywood actors reinforce this double standard, she says. Female stars grab the dye at the first sign of gray, while males embrace their salt-and-pepper as an added element of sexy.

“Look at George Clooney and the dude from ‘Pretty Woman,’ Richard Gere,” Brady says. “I’m sorry, but I think he is handsome.”

American Idol winner Taylor Hicks also unabashedly sports gray hair at age 29. At Hicks’ audition, Simon Cowell said he would never make it to the next round. The American public, however, found the gray-haired goofball endearing. In January of 2006, one of Hicks’ fans created a blog called “Gray Charles.” The name is an allusion to Hicks’ performing style (which is similar to Ray Charles) and, of course, his prematurely gray hair.

Junior Megan Kiernan says she has a few strands of gray hair, but they do not bother her.

“I really have had it forever, like before middle school, so I figured it just grew in like that,” Kiernan says.

Although I admired Kiernan’s perspective, I was not ready to welcome the invading species of hair on my own head. I glared at the mirror, prepared for battle. Scrounging around on the Web, I found several unorthodox remedies. First was a Chinese herbal treatment from the Hsin Kuang Herbal Store and Clinic. Traditional Chinese doctors say they have finally found a cure for the “morbid condition” of premature graying. Even though a team of seven — yes, seven — doctors said taking the herbs restores color, I had my doubts.

I kept looking. I found another product that would supposedly darken grays: emu oil shampoo and conditioner.

Yes, the oil is from an emu, as in the large, ostrich-like bird. This disturbed me a bit, but I read on. “This shampoo is loaded with omega 3’s which penetrate deep into the hair follicle to deliver unprecedented nutrition,” the site stated. I had no clue what omega 3’s were, but they sounded like something impressive. Still, I knew if I ever lathered my hair with emu oil shampoo, I would picture a fat, brown-feathered bird squawking.

I decided to pass.

Next I saw hair mascara, a cheaper solution. Just swipe the mascara on a few gray strands. It’s a temporary fix, and potentially a goopy mess, but it could work.

Instead of running to the drugstore, however, I finally decided to let those grays rest peacefully on my head. After all, they are just a little sparkle.