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Stress does turn hair gray, and it’s reversible

cuimc.columbia.edu

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Re: Stress does turn hair gray, and it’s reversible

#41

Post by pasxizeis »

junon wrote: post #4

Maybe it was a coincidence but at my last job I was so insanely stressed and burnt out. My manager was terrible, treated me like an idiot, and my ideas were stifled day in and day out. I woke up one day and seemingly overnight my beard had a grey patch - almost white, in fact. It fell out in the week after. Almost a year and a half later, after leaving that job, I took the pandemic to really focus on my stress levels…

> Almost a year and a half later, after leaving that job, I took the pandemic to really focus on my stress levels and be happier (I am).

Do you mind sharing any particular advice on how to do this?

Re: Stress does turn hair gray, and it’s reversible

#42

Post by busyant »

junon wrote: post #4

Maybe it was a coincidence but at my last job I was so insanely stressed and burnt out. My manager was terrible, treated me like an idiot, and my ideas were stifled day in and day out. I woke up one day and seemingly overnight my beard had a grey patch - almost white, in fact. It fell out in the week after. Almost a year and a half later, after leaving that job, I took the pandemic to really focus on my stress levels…

> almost white, in fact. It fell out in the week after.

Had a co-worker whose partner died in her late 20s. He told me the grief / stress / depression caused the same thing (edit: not his beard, but the top of his head).

He even showed me photos himself having gone gray and having lost chunks of hair. It was stunning. And it all came back over the course of 10 years (he looked like a thick-maned William H Macy).

Re: Stress does turn hair gray, and it’s reversible

#43

Post by baby »

jpttsn wrote: post #18
yawaworht1978 wrote: post #13

Do never, ever let a job or manager affect your stress levels. If you can, seek greener pastures, but more importantly, do not let it affect you. Same for relationship issues. The hair is only one of the affected areas. God knows how bad this is some internal body parts if it leads to binge eating or coping solutions like drinking etc. Not to mention the mind.

Chronic stress might be bad. A little stress from time to time in life is not that strange. Aspiring to a stress free existence seems unwise unless you’re some particular kind of royalty.

Aspire to a low-stress life. Yep!

Also stressing for the right reasons is good (like going out of your comfort zone).

Re: Stress does turn hair gray, and it’s reversible

#44

Post by franze »

junon wrote: post #4

Maybe it was a coincidence but at my last job I was so insanely stressed and burnt out. My manager was terrible, treated me like an idiot, and my ideas were stifled day in and day out. I woke up one day and seemingly overnight my beard had a grey patch - almost white, in fact. It fell out in the week after. Almost a year and a half later, after leaving that job, I took the pandemic to really focus on my stress levels…

The videographer who shot my online course had patch of white hair. I asked him what it is, he said it turned up in the 2 unbelievable stressful weeks after he started his company.

Re: Stress does turn hair gray, and it’s reversible

#45

Post by monk_e_boy »

pasxizeis wrote: post #41
junon wrote: post #4

Maybe it was a coincidence but at my last job I was so insanely stressed and burnt out. My manager was terrible, treated me like an idiot, and my ideas were stifled day in and day out. I woke up one day and seemingly overnight my beard had a grey patch - almost white, in fact. It fell out in the week after. Almost a year and a half later, after leaving that job, I took the pandemic to really focus on my stress levels…

> Almost a year and a half later, after leaving that job, I took the pandemic to really focus on my stress levels and be happier (I am). Do you mind sharing any particular advice on how to do this?

Naps!

Seriously, listen to your mind and your body. If it needs sleep, give it some. It it requires painting or dancing, do it!

Re: Stress does turn hair gray, and it’s reversible

#48

Post by treeman79 »

willcipriano wrote: post #37
hermannj314 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you elaborate on how to not let a job affect you in this way? Do you think stress is equally caused by external factors (boss, job) or internal factors (personality, etc.)? I would be afraid of quitting a great job over stress only to find out the problem was inside me the entire time.

Leave your LinkedIn as "looking for work", a email every day or two from someone who wants to hire you reminds you that you have other options and even if all this went sideways you'd land on your feet. In this market if your company burnt to the ground you'd likely end up with a short vacation and a raise.

First half of 2000 I was getting calls from recruiters non stop. Multiple per day. I had just started out but had in demand skills.

One day the calls just stopped. They didn’t start again for 3 years.

The whole dot com crash was quite humbling.

Re: Stress does turn hair gray, and it’s reversible

#49

Post by aimor »

I see this in my own beard hairs. I'll have a dark hair with a grey root, but then I'll also have a grey hair with a dark root. I didn't do any research into it, but I always felt like I saw more of the latter when I'd been getting lots of sleep.

Other hairy questions I've been curious about: What's the deal with that one long dark hair on my shoulder, and why is there one in about the same place on each shoulder? Why does it feel so good to pluck out some hairs, but other ones give a lot of resistance and hurt? Why do some hairs grow in pairs? Is body hair effective at baffling mosquitos?

Re: Stress does turn hair gray, and it’s reversible

#50

Post by anotherevan »

In my late thirties I noticed flecks of grey in my hair when I was getting haircuts. It was like that for a few years then went away again and has yet to return (clocked in at fifty last year).

I don't recall life being especially stressful at that time. I went through an unbelievable amount of stress in the middle five years of my forties which didn't cause a recurrence.

I do have these thick grey hairs in my beard though, that stand out among the thinner, wiry brown ones. Not sure what that is about.

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