The beauty of gray? Not yet (please)

by Serena Ma, ND, MS, LAc

I tell people that aging is a natural process but it's not so cool when it happens to me. Sooo, let me tell you.... I have been noticing more gray hairs recently. Not just the 2 or 3 strands I used to occasionally see. (Yes, I know, the old wives' tale about not pulling grays or a hundred will grow back.) At the rate I'm pulling my grays out, I'll be bald soon!! I realize I'm being a really vain. But I see this as an opportunity to do some experimentation (on myself). If it helps a little, great! If it doesn't, I'll age gracefully (or find a great natural colorist).

STEP ONE: Look to science, after all I'm a science nerd at heart. A few years ago, scientists found that gray hair (or the absence of color) is due to a buildup of hydrogen peroxide (just like back in the day when some of you may have bleached your hair with hydrogen peroxide). This buildup comes from the absence of the catalase enzyme which metabolizes the oxygen free radical, hydrogen peroxide, to oxygen and water. Methionine sulfoxide reductase A and B (MSR A and B) are other enzymes that repair the damage from hydrogen peroxide. Brilliant, a backup system!!! But unfortunately when we age, both catalase and MSR A and B decline.

• Catalase supplementation

• I have a pretty colorful diet already but I've been loving green juices lately. I'll have green juices 3-4x per week for antioxidants, plus extra antioxidant supplementation (vitamin C, coQ10).

• Tyrosine supplementation - L-tyrosine is the precursor to melanin. Interestingly enough, tyrosine is also the precursor to epinephrine and norepinephrine, stress hormones.

STEP TWO: Did I mention stress? So far, scientists haven't found a direct relationship between stress and graying hair but, by observation, it does seems as if stress does cause the acceleration of graying hair. Just think of the US Presidents. But if tyrosine is a precursor to both melanin and stress hormones, it certainly makes me wonder.... Typical stress relieving techniques (meditation, exercise, yoga, etc) are in order.

STEP THREE: Now let's see what Chinese Medicine says about this. Gray hair results from weak kidneys or liver blood, which can also be related to aging and stress. The Chinese remedy for gray hair is an herb he shou wu or polygonum multiforme. According to Chinese Medicine, he shou wu supplements the liver and boosts the kidneys, and nourishes the blood.

Now this is interesting. Remember catalase? There's another enzyme called superoxide dismutase (SOD) which, like catalase, protects against oxygen free radical damage and declines with age. He shou wu raises SOD levels, and is the #1 herb in Chinese Medicine to reverse gray hair.

In fact, when I studied with an herbalist in Beijing, an elderly man came in who had been taking a formula with he shou wu for months. His hair was growing back black - I kid you not!! I wish I had taken a picture but I'll never forget him. He has a crown of black hair and the ends were bright white. I'm adding he shou wu!!

Also in Chinese Medicine, you want to increase the flow of blood to the head (hair follicles, makes sense). Acupuncture or seven-star hammering would be helpful. Seven-star hammering is a technique of tapping your head (or any area) with a small hammer which has 7 needles at the end to stimulate blood flow. Ask your acupuncturist before trying.

So that's it - what I'll attempt to slow down the graying:

1. catalase

2. antioxidants

3. tyrosine

4. stress-reduction

5. he shou wu

6. seven-star hammering