Stress does turn hair gray, and it’s reversible • Hacker News Board

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

#71

Post by mancerayder » Thu, Jun 24, 2021, 1:19 PM UTC

mk89 wrote: post #51

monk_e_boy wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

I agree with this comment. Sleep is ridiculously underestimated in our society due to the fact that it's perceived as a waste of time, while you could do something else more "productive" or "fun" - binge watching, learning, studying, working on that thing that you really wanted to finish, etc. etc. It's absolutely not the case. The first thing to go is the memory. Then step by step things add up. It's not fun.

Sleep doesn't come naturally to everyone. I can lay in bed all night long, but the brain likes to wake me up at 5 am and suddenly remind me of all my problems, Todo lists and stuff I should or shouldn't have said.

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

#72

Post by redisman » Thu, Jun 24, 2021, 1:20 PM UTC

hermannj314 wrote: post #16

Has anyone found good, long-term methods for stress management? I know I am stressed and I see the evidence - restless sleep, elevated WBC, worsening anxiety. I, unfortunately, haven't found a good routine way to manage stress.

The basics do wonders. Healthy diet, meditation, regular exercise, plentiful sleep.

Other than that it’s specific to your situation and what you can change. For me my job was the source of most of it so I switched to a chill but better paid position and now my life is in much more of a balanced state. One stressor tends to spill and cause tension with every other part of my life.

For me having kids was the wake up call that I need to make a change or crumble under the pressure. Easy choice in the end.

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

#73

Post by amelius » Thu, Jun 24, 2021, 1:20 PM UTC

Did anyone have success with PABA?

From Wikipedia:

> Despite the lack of any recognized syndromes of PABA deficiency in humans, except for those who lack the colonic bacteria that generate PABA, many claims of benefit are made by commercial suppliers of PABA as a nutritional supplement. The benefit is claimed for (...) and premature grey hair.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4-Aminobenzoic_acid

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

#74

Post by amelius » Thu, Jun 24, 2021, 1:25 PM UTC

Does this mean that people with an anxiety disorder (more stress) are more likely to have grey hair?

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

#75

Post by atulatul » Thu, Jun 24, 2021, 1:26 PM UTC

To reduce the stress a bit and make you smile, here's a P. G. Wodehouse quote:

"There is only one cure for grey hair. It was invented by a Frenchman. It is called the guillotine."

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

#76

Post by Gravityloss » Thu, Jun 24, 2021, 1:26 PM UTC

supposedly, if you've had high fever, you can also see it as a streak from your finger and toenails (the part that was growing then).

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

#77

Post by w0m » Thu, Jun 24, 2021, 1:26 PM UTC

twodave wrote: post #54

My hair started graying pretty much as soon as I graduated from college. It makes a lot of sense now. Around the same time, I: - bought a house (in 2007, yeesh) - got married - started my first job (which at the time felt like drinking out of a fire hose) Shortly after, my wife and I went through the stress of trying and failing to get pregnant. Then infertility treatments for several months. Then my wife had surgery…

Seriously feel this.

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

#78

Post by noisy_boy » Thu, Jun 24, 2021, 1:27 PM UTC

xpe wrote: post #10

ndr wrote: post #2

Very small n, but nonetheless entertaining: > “There was one individual who went on vacation, and five hairs on that person’s head reverted back to dark during the vacation, synchronized in time,” Picard says.

This refers to Martin Picard, not Jean-Luc Picard. :)

Maybe he was feeling energized :)

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

#79

Post by mattlondon » Thu, Jun 24, 2021, 1:30 PM UTC

Hmm this might explain why I pluck the odd grey hair, only to find that it is only grey at the oldest end, and the newer hair is back to normal colour.

So the hair stopped being grey halfway through growing... Less stress?

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

#80

Post by thrav » Thu, Jun 24, 2021, 1:31 PM UTC

ipaddr wrote: post #64

twodave wrote: post #54

My hair started graying pretty much as soon as I graduated from college. It makes a lot of sense now. Around the same time, I: - bought a house (in 2007, yeesh) - got married - started my first job (which at the time felt like drinking out of a fire hose) Shortly after, my wife and I went through the stress of trying and failing to get pregnant. Then infertility treatments for several months. Then my wife had surgery…

It feels like so many people in North America are struggling with infertility. It is one of those topics that have been deemed too taboo to talk about which is infortunate.

It’s talked about in small circles, but not broadly. Anecdotally, my wife and one of her friends are the only people I know who quickly conceived and had a child without issue over 30.

My very close friend and his wife gave up after years of treatments. My sister and her husband are coming up on years of unsuccessful treatments. Several of my wife’s close friends either required treatments, have lost one or more pregnancies, and/or have yet to succeed with treatments.

It’s more than enough to make you feel like there is something serious going on. There was an article recently about aggressive drops in male fertility, which might shed light.

In my mind, the other big piece is readiness / pressure. I don’t think it’s everything, but I do think there must be a huge mental component to conception. The people who are more financially stable and on the same page seem to have the easiest time.