Did you know gray hair might not be permanent? Scientists found out that stress can speed up hair turning gray, but it’s not always a one-way street. In some cases, when people relax and stress less, their gray hair can regain its original color! Researchers believe it’s because hair follicles have "color memories" and can sometimes restart producing pigment. It doesn’t work for everyone, and the chances depend on age and how long the hair’s been gray. But hey, it’s a cool reminder that our bodies can sometimes bounce back in amazing ways! #brightside Animation is created by Bright Side. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/ Listen to Bright Side on: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/idhttps-podcasts-apple-com-podcast-bright-side/id1554898078 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our Social Media: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/brightside/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brightside.official/ Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.official?lang=en Snapchat - https://www.snapchat.com/p/c6a1e38a-bff1-4a40-9731-2c8234ccb19f/1866144599336960 Stock materials (photos, footages and other): https://www.depositphotos.com https://www.shutterstock.com https://www.eastnews.ru ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me
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00:00Guess what, your hair might be able to time-travel.
00:03Now let me explain.
00:04It's not going to use a time machine and go back to the 1800s to speak with your great-grandparents.
00:10But do you know that moment when you spot a strand of gray hair and think, I'm getting
00:15older?
00:16Well, scientists have some exciting news!
00:19They might've found a way to turn things around and bring some color back into your
00:23luscious locks, at least for a while.
00:25A study from the 70s talked about a man who had three hair strands that were lighter at
00:30the tips but darker near the scalp.
00:33This might mean that the typical process of hair turning gray, which starts at the roots,
00:38might've done a U-turn.
00:41Now a new piece of research has found even stronger evidence that this can happen.
00:47Specialists looked at hair from a bunch of people of different ages and backgrounds.
00:51What they discovered might sound a bit surprising.
00:53It seems that our graying might be linked to our stress levels.
00:57How we feel inside might be showing up on our heads.
01:01This new approach suggests that there could be a time frame during which our hair turning
01:06gray might be more switchable than we once believed.
01:11Some years back, an expert from Columbia University was wondering about the whole aging process.
01:17He thought that, just like some parts of our body age before others, the hair on our heads
01:22doesn't go all gray at once.
01:24Maybe the hairs that turn white first are like the weak links in the chain.
01:29While chatting with his partner, he had this eureka moment.
01:32If they could find a hair that's half gray and figure out how quickly it was growing,
01:37they might find out when it started to lose color.
01:39Luckily, his partner found such hair on her head, and their project began.
01:45They soon found around 14 people, from youngsters to grandparents, with such two-toned strands
01:50of hair.
01:51They even developed a method to see the tiny color changes in these hair strands.
01:56And the results were astounding.
01:58Some grays turned back to their original colors, and not just on the head, but all over the
02:03body.
02:06Most of us notice gray hair creeping in during our 30s.
02:10These scientists believe that's the best time to hope for a reversal.
02:14And even if your head's full of grays, some of those might still be open to change.
02:19You see, even other types of experts find this study promising.
02:23They believe it might show how age-related changes in our bodies might be flipped around.
02:28Sure, we're only looking at hair for now, but who knows?
02:32One day, perhaps, we'll be able to reverse signs of aging in our skin or muscles too.
02:37There's more to this research than just hair color.
02:40These scientists wanted to see if stress could play a role in hair graying.
02:44Everyone's heard stories about people's hair turning white overnight when facing stressful
02:50events.
02:51The researchers asked participants to share their most stressful moments over a period
02:54of a year.
02:56By matching these events to when hair color changed, they found that big stress or relaxation
03:01moments aligned with hair color shifts.
03:04Like one guy's hair started to revert during his relaxing vacation, and another woman had
03:09a patch of gray that matched a super challenging period in her life.
03:15Sure, while scientists admire the research, they still feel the need to remind us that
03:20this project is still in the early days.
03:23More work needs to be done so we can totally rely on these findings.
03:27So what's next?
03:28The researchers are now diving deeper into the link between stress and gray hair.
03:33They're hoping to track people over time to see how their hair and stress levels change.
03:38In the future, some say our hair could be a window into our past experiences.
03:43Just like trees have rings that show their age, our hair might hold secrets about our
03:48life events.
03:50Stress or no stress, what's the process behind hair turning gray?
03:55First off, let's tackle a common myth.
03:57It turns out that hair doesn't really switch to gray.
04:00It switches to not having any color at all.
04:03Once your hair sprouts with a certain color, be it brown, black, blonde, or even fiery
04:09red, it sticks to that shade for life.
04:12Well, unless you decide to give it a colorful makeover with some dye.
04:16As we grow older, our hair gets a little forgetful and produces less color.
04:20So after celebrating a certain number of birthdays, when old hairs fall out and new ones pop up,
04:26there's a higher chance of them being gray.
04:29If you're wondering when you'll see your first gray hair, browse through your family
04:33albums.
04:34The genes passed down from your ancestors usually decide when it's time.
04:40Also, why do we have more hair on our heads compared to the rest of our bodies, anyway?
04:46We first must figure out why most animals have fur.
04:50It turns out that animals wear their coats because it keeps them snug when the temperatures
04:54drop, and it shields them from the harsh sun.
04:57In that case, why did our ancestors decide to let go of most of their fur?
05:03Because they got creative.
05:05They figured out new ways to stay warm and protected using fire, building shelters, and
05:09dressing up.
05:11However, just because they could survive without a fur coat doesn't mean they just magically
05:16lost all their hair.
05:18There must've been a good reason to go hairless.
05:20There are many theories on this subject, too.
05:23One suggests that it might've gotten too hot for us at some point.
05:27Another one indicates some of our ancestors might've spent a considerable amount of time
05:31in the water.
05:32Having that much hair over their bodies could've weighed them down.
05:36Obviously, scientists have yet to pinpoint the exact reason.
05:42What about the hair on our heads?
05:44Why is it still here?
05:46The explanation is quite simple.
05:48Humans evolved to walk on our two feet.
05:50This means our heads became like these sunflower tops, always facing up.
05:55And we know how the sun can be super intense, especially in some regions of our planet.
06:00So our head hair acts like a built-in cap.
06:04There's more to the subject.
06:05Our heads, though not that big compared with the rest of our bodies, are busy.
06:10Since they're always active, they create warmth.
06:13Our head hair keeps that warmth from escaping, like a natural built-in beanie.
06:18Gray or not, our strands of hair might become more useful in the future.
06:22Every time you get a haircut, ever wonder where all that hair goes?
06:26For now, it's thrown away.
06:28Thankfully, some ingenious minds from Queensland had an amazing idea.
06:33Instead of just seeing leftover hair as trash, they saw potential energy.
06:38They gently burned the hair and extracted carbon, turning it into these teeny tiny dots.
06:44Think high-fluid pixie dust.
06:46Now here's where the magic happens.
06:48They sprinkled these nanodots onto solar panels.
06:52What this did is it made the solar panels work better, and they were more stable.
06:59Your hair also has this pigment called melanin.
07:02I'll spare you the complicated details, but this chemical is sensitive to light.
07:07A Nepali teenager found out about this and thought, why not use hair instead of expensive
07:12silicon in solar panels?
07:14Imagine replacing pricey silicon with affordable hair, giving loads of people a chance to use
07:20cheaper energy.
07:21This might just be the next important thing in making solar energy more accessible and
07:26affordable.
07:28Next up, imagine this.
07:29You're munching on your delicious lunch salad.
07:32Ever thought hair could help grow that?
07:35Thanks to scientists at the University in Singapore, this might soon become a reality.
07:39They've developed a way to grow crops, especially in cities, using a method called hydroponics.
07:46No soil required.
07:49Instead, they use a special mix made from hair.
07:52Let's break down the process.
07:55The researchers collected hair from places like hair salons.
07:58And from this hair, they extracted something called keratin.
08:02They mixed this keratin with cellulose fibers, making it stronger.
08:06When dried, it turned into a squishy base that's perfect for growing things.
08:10They chose to experiment with microgreens and even delicious veggies like bok choy
08:15and arugula.
08:16Okay, that's enough.
08:17I'm heading for the salad bar.
08:20That's it for today!
08:21So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your
08:25friends!
08:26Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the Bright Side!