The one word answer to this question is “no”! Plucking white hair does not give you more white hair. Each of your hair strands grows out of a single hair follicle. So if you pull out the white hair only one hair can grow back in its place and possibly it will be white too.
For those of you who have plucked those pesky gray hairs from your head, you don't have to fear that they are coming back with a vengeance. The idea that pulling a gray hair will cause 10 more to grow in its place is simply not true.
Reasons Not to Pluck Gray Hair
Only one hair grows per follicle. When your strand turns gray or white, the pigment cells in that follicle have already died. 1 "In other words, plucking a gray hair will only get you a new gray hair in its place," says Gillen, so any plucking is pretty much pointless.
So does white hair multiply when plucked? The answer is no. As we reach the age of 30, we have a 10 to 20 percent chance of having gray or white hair every ten years. This means that many men and women get gray hair in their twenties.
Vitamin deficiencies
Share on Pinterest White and gray hairs may start to grow at any age, and may be caused by a range of different factors. Any deficiencies of vitamin B-6, B-12, biotin, vitamin D, or vitamin E can contribute to premature graying.
From the time a person notices a few gray hairs, it may take more than 10 years for all of that person's hair to turn gray. Some people think that a big shock or trauma can turn a person's hair white or gray overnight, but scientists don't really believe that this happens.
A new study shows that stress really can give you gray hair. Researchers found that the body's fight-or-flight response plays a key role in turning hair gray. Your hair color is determined by pigment-producing cells called melanocytes.
Although the primary cause of premature hair graying (PHG) is considered to be genetic, certain environmental factors also play a role. Trace element deficiencies such as Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3, and calcium may also be associated with PHG.
Hair is pigmented by melanocytes, the same cells responsible for the tanning of skin, in the hair follicle. After repeated plucking and traumatization of the follicle the hair may grow in without pigment and therefore appears white.
Tweezing hairs
Pulling out that hair excites the thin layer of tissue called epithelium that makes up the outer layer of your skin (epidermis). This process can cause some inflammation in the hair follicle, which is why people see redness and swelling after tweezing hairs.
The vast majority of people with gray hair have age-related graying. However, sometimes graying hair indicates an illness, especially if it occurs at a particularly young age. Health problems that may be heralded by gray hair include: vitamin B12 deficiency.
Gray hair grows when hydrogen peroxide builds up in your hair follicle. "This causes hair to bleach itself from the inside out," says Debra Jaliman, MD, a dermatologist in New York and spokesperson for the American Academy of Dermatology. Gray hairs are thicker and wirier, so your hair gets coarser as they multiply.
Even getting out your tweezers for the odd hair might seem harmless, but next time swap the tweezers for your razor and some shaving gel to remove those stray hairs. This is because plucking hairs can traumatise the follicle, causing scar tissue to build-up around the pore.
Reversible hypopigmentation of the hair can be seen in nutritional deficiencies protein-energy malnutrition and diseases of chronic loss of protein. Copper and iron deficiency also can cause graying of hair. A study reported significantly lower levels of copper in patients with PGH when compared to the control group.
Few harbingers of old age are clearer than the sight of gray hair. As we grow older, black, brown, blonde or red strands lose their youthful hue. Although this may seem like a permanent change, new research reveals that the graying process can be undone—at least temporarily.
Premature graying may be reversed with vitamin B12 supplementation only if vitamin B12 deficiency is the cause. If you are graying due to other factors, such as genetics, zinc deficiency, and medications, your gray hair cannot be reversed.
Stress can cause hair to gray prematurely by affecting the stem cells that are responsible for regenerating hair pigment. The findings give insights for future research into how stress affects stem cells and tissue regeneration.
Gray hair comes down to melanin, or rather the lack of melanin. Melanin is the pigment that gives hair its color. Gray hair has reduced melanin, while white hair completely lacks it. This occurs because of a gradual decline in the number of stem cells that mature to become melanin-producing cells.
Some women may begin going gray in their 30s or 40s. But for others, the process may begin as early as when they're 20 years old. For some women, hair can be a form of self expression. When it begins to turn gray, some women think nothing of it or even realize that they love their new silvery strands.
B complex vitamins such as B12, Biotin, and B6 are important for strength and colour of hair. Deficiencies of any of these nutrients are known to promote hair greying. B complex supplements are very useful in preventing greying. We require about 500 to 600 mcg per day.
Plucking stops hair growth and can cause damage to your hair follicles, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing for your long-term health if done carefully and in moderation. There are, however, some areas of the body and certain circumstances where plucking can be very damaging.