Unpredictable effects of plucking gray hair

Gray hair is unsightly and a nuisance to many people. Therefore, many people, when they see gray hair, immediately pull it out. But will this damage your scalp?

Hair begins to turn gray when the hair follicles are depleted of melanin-producing cells (cells that provide pigment for hair and skin). Rohit Kakar, director of Orchard Lake Dermatology & Cosmetics in Orchard Lake, says this is a completely normal phenomenon of aging and graying hair sooner or later depends on genetic factors.

So what are the harmful effects of this habit?

1. You are wasting time

In fact, pulling out gray hair is only a temporary measure because the hair that grows back will still be gray (even if you eat a lot of fruits and vegetables).

'Once the pigment cells in the hair follicles are dead, the hair cannot be black again,' says Jeffrey Hsu, director of Oak Dermatology (Chicago). So, no matter how much you pull out gray hair, they will still come back.

Many people believe that plucking gray hair will make them grow more gray hairs. But luckily that was just a baseless rumor.

Dr Kakar said: 'Pulling out a gray hair will not cause another gray hair to grow. Pulling out the hair does not affect the other hairs around, because each hair follicle has its own genetics.

2. You are at risk of infection or scarring

Pulling out gray hair is not a great idea, especially if it has already become a habit. Dr. Hsu said: Repeated pulling of hair can damage hair follicles and lead to infection or scarring.

Over time, this can even damage the hair follicle to the point where it stops growing altogether. And if you constantly pull out gray hair, it can cause baldness.

Is there a safe way to pull out gray hair?

There is no way to reduce the risk of infection, scarring, or hair loss with gray hair pulling.

If you absolutely can't stand unsightly gray hair, try trimming it.

Dr Hsu said: 'If you have to get rid of gray hair, it's best to use a pair of small scissors to carefully cut them off. This will avoid damaging the hair follicles'.

So how harmful is plucking gray hair?

The answer depends on how often you pull your hair out.

Dr Kakar said: 'If you spit once, it doesn't matter. However, if done repeatedly, it can lead to baldness due to permanent hair loss."

So, if those silver strands are really bugging you, it might be time to start thinking about your hair dye options.