A new study conducted at Columbia University offers quantitative evidence that psychological stress leads to graying hair in people, per a press statement. Crucially, the findings show that these effects are reversible in some people, providing insight into the wider aging process in humans.
The research adds to a growing field of evidence suggesting that aging is not a linear process, and in the long run, it could help to engineer new methods for slowing or even reversing aging in humans.
It might seem obvious that stress can lead to gray hairs, as it is something that has been widely accepted by the public for years.
Still, the new paper, published in eLife, puts any doubt about the link between graying hair and stress to rest, and it also reveals the surprising discovery that hair color can be restored when stress is reduced. The new findings contrast with another recent study that suggests gray hairs from stress are permanent, based on studies on mice.
Stress kills. To read more, click here.