by Dr. Phoenyx Austin via DrPhoenyx.com
Hi ladies, Dr. Phoenyx here! I hope you all had a rockin’ 4th and before we get to our regularly scheduled program, I’d like to make two fabulous announcements! One, I’d like to report that I’ve now leaped into the wonderful world of blogging. Yay! After years of writing for magazines and other blogs, I now have my own home! And two, I’m actually out of the US and in the Caymans for the next few days. For those who don’t know, I’m also a media personality. And while on this fabulous island, I will be shooting guest appearances on a popular daytime talk show. I will also be blogging and vlogging (and taking tons of pics) while in the Caymans, so be sure to check out my Facebook page and blog for highlights!
Now back to our regularly scheduled program…
A few days ago I read that a “cure” for grey hair may be coming soon! Just think, henna and hair dye may soon become a thing of the past.
A group of researchers at New York University Medical Center recently announced that they have discovered the biochemical pathway for grey hair. What does that mean? Well it means they now know exactly what causes gray hair to appear, paving the way for a cure to prevent it. The study was recently published in the journal Cell. And the biochemical pathway is controlled by wnt- a protein that controls pigmentation in hair follicles.
Scientists have isolated protein wnt and so far have succeeded in turning black-haired mice gray by inhibiting the wnt protein pathway. And they are extremely hopeful that they should also be able to achieve the reverse process.
And there are some added bonuses that may be coming with this new discovery. Previous research showed that wnt is also responsible for the production of new hair follicles. And apparently wnt is also vital for hair growth, suggesting that a treatment that keeps hair dark would have the added advantage of also stopping it from thinning.
Wouldn’t that be something?! A cure for grey hair (and maybe even thinning hair) could be in the near future.
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i'm ready to pre-order now, especially since my hair hates henna. i just cut my hair nearly bald to get rid of it. a cure for grey would keep me from doing what i'm starting now….dyeing it with chemicals. let me know when the sign up starts!
I am 46, natural for about 15 years, and about 20-30% gray. I colored my hair to cover the gray until about a year and a half ago when I just got tired of it. My hair grow pretty fast ad it was a constant battle keeping those roots covered I had to touch up every three weeks and sometimes the grey would not cover completely because my hair has always been a bit resistant to hair dyes. So one night I grabbed the scissors and cut my APL dyed hair down to a 1/2 inch TWA. Best move I ever made. I received more compliments on my hair than I had in years with many people saying the gray made me look younger and fresher than the dyed hair. I still get carded when I buy drinks ( even when my younger husband and sister do not). If your hairstyle is fresh, your skin well cared for and your clothes stylish, gray can be quite beautiful. Sometimes dyed hair can actually make women look older as it can be a harsh contrast against aging skin. I am growing out the TWA (I miss my long hair) but will be gray forever, cure or no cure.
I've had gray hair since age 19 and I am now 44yr. I was okay with it until I turned thirty something, then I began coloring. Since I've gone natural, I only use Henna/Indigo but it happens every week, yep! every 7-10 days. Once I lose weight, I believe I will feel more confident with a short haircut (TWA or cropped coils)without Henna. Until then, Henna is my friend.
Allnatural1 (Michelle in TX)
I think I have you all beat. I've had grey hair since the 4th or 5th grade!!!! I've been coloring it in one way or another since junior high. Now I'm 38 and I think I'm at 50% gray. I can't stand it! I would cut in front of EVERYONE to be first in line for a cure. I'm far too young for all of this grey and too tired to continue coloring it every other week!
Interesting. I just hope the answer isn't "drug" related.
I detest my grey. It makes me and everyone who has it look older. Who wants to look old? Not even old people. I'd be first in line.
I would gladly sign up. So tired of coloring my hair only for grey to reappear within 2 weeks.
I;ve been sprouting grey hairs since I was 9 (yes, 9). Within my mum's side of the family, we may start greying early but we grey slowly.
I'm not too happy about the idea of grey hair requiring a 'cure', though.
As somone who has been slowly going grey since my early twenties and now in my late thirties, I don't have an issue with grey hair and don't plan to color mine. Just thinking about having to maintain the color so no grey shows, wears me out just thinking about it! I will keep my grey and look forward to what a salt n pepper (and eventually ALL salt) twist out looks like!
Well, I have gray hair mostly in the front. I was not impressed with it at all in the beginning, but now that it has come in more, I really like the contrast between the black and white. In my opinion, it looks sexy. Aside from that, the whole henna process for me was getting to be a bit much. One thing though, I don't think I ever thought of gray hair as a malady that required a cure.
I don't care about the grey…I will never dye my hair when it begins to grey, BUT for thicker hair….."I'm right on top of that Rose" (yall remember Don't tell mom the babysitter's dead?) LOL
i'd be all over it. i have a few grays and i don't care for them. they do make you look older, i've seen this on repeated makeover shows. i would love not to hassle with color to cover sporadic grays.
lol…Jess, i'm 28 and i keep hoping to find even just one on my head. I guess i'm just odd
Oh henna shall never be a thing of the past! LOL. Most of us enjoy the benefits of henna coloring our greys but it's so much more than that. It's all about the thickening conditioning power of henna. I'll never stop.
To Anonymous 10:55,
While I think grey is beautiful, I do not want grey on my 30 year old head! Maybe once I am in my mid to late 50s yes, but lets face the facts, grey makes you look older…much older. And who wants that!
I know i'll probably get some crazy looks for saying this, but i think that's awful! I love grey hair. I think it looks amazing and beautiful and gives so much character. I never really saw the big deal about getting grey hairs. Everyone seems to hate it, but i've always loved the way it looks and personally, i think it would be awful if nobody went grey anymore.
Sometimes i get excited when i think i've spotted a grey hair on my head, but then when i examine it further, it usually just turns out to be a strand of hair with too much oil or conditioner *shrug*
For all you ladies out there who are self-conscious about your greys and want to cover it up, just know that there's someone out there like me admiring your silver :o)
as someone who started going grey at 21 (All the ladies on my dad's side, begin to grey early ;-( ), I would be first in line!!!!!!, Its bad enough that my natural hair color is black, so my grey does stand out. Especially the ones in the front. For now, I don't do much, I played around with color when I was relaxed, but since going natural, all I do is Henna/Indigo. It hasn't covered the grey (or may be More grey hair is growing out)and I haven't colored my hair with anything else…. But something that is a 'cure', I would give it a goooooo, BUT I would be in the mirror 24/7, I am the type to wake up at random hours to check on my head!!!!!!!