Considering the currently available treatment options it seems that the graying process cannot be reversed. There is no scientific proof that any existing medicine, herb, dietary supplement or natural product can prevent or reverse graying hair. Several cosmetics and pharmaceuticals companies are working on the discovery of the ultimate cure for gray hair but no adequate solution is commercially available yet.

Occurrence of premature gray hair is often associated with excessive stress, psychological shock or trauma, bad diet, vitamin B deficiency and smoking. The fact is, however, that the main cause for premature graying hair is genetics. The pigment that determines the colour of our hair is produced by special cells at the root of our hair called melanocytes. It is the lifespan of melanocytes that determines the onset of the graying process. Once these cells die, the hair turns white.

There is no principal difference between a premature and a normal, age-related graying process. It is by virtue of nature that some people will experience their first gray hair in their teens and turn completely white in their early thirties, while others will keep their native hair colour for many decades. If more than half of a person’s hair is white by the age of 40, it is considered premature.

There are numerous commercial products out there that are claimed to rejuvenate the dead pigment-producing cells and reverse gray hair. Such claims, however, are totally unsubstantiated. The sad truth is that at this point in time no remedy exists that can reverse the graying process. Most of the anti-gray hair remedies either use Fo-Ti, referring to the centuries old legend of Mr He, who recovered his hair colour, youthful appearance and vitality thanks to this traditional Chinese medicinal herb, also known as He Shou Wu or use vitamins B (mainly PABA and folic acid) as their main ingredients, since some forms of premature graying are said to be caused by vitamin B deficiency. However, such products are ineffective for the majority of grey hair sufferers.

Therefore, the only remaining grey hair treatment option that seems to deliver guaranteed results is to cover your gray. Women use various types of permanent, semi-permanent and demi-permanent hair dyes but men usually prefer a subtle and less noticeable change in their hair color that does not cover all their gray. Such products are usually called progressive hair colorants. It is obvious that none of these products can make the dead cells produce pigmented hair and thus they must be used continuously to cover the gray of fresh hair. Although there are some natural hair dyes that claim to effectively cover your gray hair, the products that really work well all use certain chemicals. When deciding about hair dyes or progressive hair colorants, you should always take into account the potential health risks, as most of them contain toxic substances and, if used inappropriately, can lead to severe allergic reactions. You should always use a patch test before applying any such product to your scalp and follow the application guidelines in order to minimise exposure to aggressive substances.