Grey Hair: Plucking One Leads To More Greys? Dermatologists Busts Myth

When grey hair starts to show, the temptation to take out the tweezers is real. But is it true that if you pluck a grey hair, more will grow back? Dermatologist explains the truth behind the claims,

How many times have you been told not to pluck grey hair as it will cause more hair to turn grey? This is a common statement and especially when one starts showing the first signs of grey, well-meaning relatives and friends often caution against plucking the hair strand. But is there any scientific truth behind this claim?  Dr Sushma Yadav, Dermatologist, Cosmetologist, Hair Transplant Surgeon, and Founder of Skinology Centre in Bangalore, talks to us about the issue. 

Grey Hair: What Happens When You Pluck Them

On average, hair starts to go grey in our late 30s and 40s, says Dr Yadav." When they start to show, the temptation to take out the tweezers is real. But is it true that if you pluck a grey hair, more will grow back? Well the answer is - False, false, false," the doctor says, adding, "It’s a myth and it probably comes from people’s natural increase in the number of grey hair as they age because the pigment cell or the melanin, which imparts colour to a hair follicle, tends to naturally decrease as we age."

So what's the origin of the myth? Dr Yadav says that greying of hair strands depends on several factors, apart from the natural ageing process. "Our biological makeup, genetics, dietary habits, and stress also can amplify or speed up the greying process. Melanin is the pigment that gives colour to the hair and skin. The number of these pigment granules begins to decrease as the person age and that’s why we feel the grey hair increases even after plucking."

Why You Should Not Pluck Grey Hair

So what happens when you pluck grey hair? Dr Yadav explains: "The plucked hair is gone but only temporarily. The follicle under the skin, which produces the hair, is still alive and just goes into resting and starts to grow again in 10-12 weeks. If you pull a grey hair, a new grey hair will grow in its place because each hair is independent, with its own set of genetics, and has no effect on the surrounding hair. Also, the grey hair already has a coarser texture than the pigmented hair so it will grow back as coarse as before it was plucked."

If you pull a hair occasionally then it's not going to do much damage and definitely not grow back in multiple but if you repeatedly keep plucking your hair, you may have, infection, inflammation, and even a bald spot instead of grey hair so you may be doing more harm than good, says Dr Yadav. So this is why you should avoid plucking grey hair frequently, not because the number of grey hair will increase. Dr Yadav adds, "So don’t be so quick with your tweezers and choose to cut it instead of plucking. Choose to embrace your grey hair or simply colour it."