Betteridge’s Law of Headlines states “any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no“—it’s not really a universal truth, but it’s true surprisingly often, and, as board certified dermatologist “The Beauty MD” Dr. Sam Ellis explains, it’s true in this case.

But, all is not lost.

Physiological Factors

Hair color is initially determined by genes and gene expression, instructing the body to color it with melanin (brown and black) and/or pheomelanin (blonde and red). If and when the body produces less of those pigments, our hair will go gray.

Factors that affect if/when our hair will go gray include:

• Genetics: primary determinant, essentially a programmed change
• Age: related to the above, but critically, the probability of going gray in any given year increases with age
• Ethnicity: the level of melanin in our skin is an indicator of how long we are likely to maintain melanin in our hair. Black people with the darkest skintones will thus generally go gray last, whereas white people with the lightest skintones will generally go gray first, and so on for a spectrum between the two.
• Medical conditions: immune conditions such as vitiligo, thyroid disease, and pernicious anemia promote an earlier loss of pigmentation
• Stress: oxidative stress, mainly, so factors like smoking will cause earlier graying. But yes, also chronic emotional stress does lead to oxidative stress too. Interestingly, this seems to be more about norepinephrine than cortisol, though.
• Nutrient deficiencies: the body can make a lot of things, but it needs the raw ingredients. Not having the right amounts of important vitamins and minerals will result in a loss of pigmentation (amongst other more serious problems). Vitamins B6, B9, and B12 are talked about in the video, as are iron and zinc. Copper is also needed for some hair colors. Selenium is needed for good hair health in general (but not too much, as an excess of selenium paradoxically causes hair loss), and many related things will stop working properly without adequate magnesium. Hair health will also benefit a lot from plenty of vitamin B7.

So, managing the above factors (where possible; obviously some of the above aren’t things we can influence) will result in maintaining one’s hair pigment for longer. As for texture, by the way, the reason gray hair tends to have a rougher texture is not for the lack of pigment itself, but is due to decreased sebum production. Judicious use of exogenous hair oils (e.g. argan oil, coconut oil, or whatever your preference may be) is a fine way to keep your grays conditioned.

However, once your hair has gone gray, there is no definitive treatment with good evidence for reversing that, at present. Dye it if you want to, or don’t. Many people (including this writer, who has just a couple of streaks of gray herself) find gray hair gives a distinguished look, and such harmless signs of age are a privilege not everyone gets to reach, and thus may be reasonably considered a cause for celebration

For more on all of the above, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

You might also like to read:

Gentler Hair Health Options

Take care!

Arterial plaque is a big deal, and statistically it’s more of a risk as we get older, often coming to a head around age 72 for women and 65 for men—these are the median ages at which people who are going to get heart attacks, get them. Or get it, because sometimes one is all it takes.

The Ankle-Brachial Index Test

Dr. Brewer recommends a home test for detecting arterial plaque called the Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI), which uses a blood pressure monitor. The test involves measuring blood pressure in both the arms and ankles, then calculating the ratio of these measurements:

• A healthy ABI score is between 1.0 and 1.4; anything outside this range may indicate arterial problems.
• Low ABI scores (below 0.8) suggest plaque is likely obstructing blood flow
• High ABI scores (above 1.4) may indicate artery hardening

Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), associated with poor ABI results (be they high or low), can cause a whole lot of problems that are definitely better tackled sooner rather than later—remember that atherosclerosis is a self-worsening thing once it gets going, because narrower walls means it’s even easier for more stuff to get stuck in there (and thus, the new stuff that got stuck also becomes part of the walls, and the problem gets worse).

If you need a blood pressure monitor, by the way, here’s an example product on Amazon.

Do note also that yes, if you have plaque obstructing blood flow and hardened arteries, your scores may cancel out and give you a “healthy” score, despite your arteries being very much not healthy. For this reason, this test can be used to raise the alarm, but not to give the “all clear”.

For more on all of the above, plus a demonstration and more in-depth explanation of the test, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

You might also like to read:

• Dietary Changes for Artery Health
• What Matters Most For Your Heart?

Take care!

Hampton at Hybrid Calisthenics always has very sound advice in his uplifting videos, and this one’s no exception:

Key tips for optimizing workouts without burning out

“We all have the same 24 hours” is a folly when in fact, some of us have more responsibilities and/or other impediments to getting things done (e.g. disabilities).

A quick word on disabilities first: sometimes people are quick to point out Paralympian athletes, and “if they can do it, so can you!” and forget that these people are in the top percentile of the top percentile of the top percentile of human performance. If you wouldn’t disparagingly say “if Simone Biles/Hussein Bolt/Michael Phelps can do it, so can you”, then don’t for Paralympians either 😉

Now, as for Hampton’s advice, he recommends:

Enjoy short, intense workouts:

• You can get effective results in under 30 minutes (or even just a few minutes per day) with compound exercises (e.g., squats, pull-ups).
• Focus on full-body movements also saves time!
• Push closer to failure when possible to maximize efficiency. It’s the last rep where most of the strength gains are made! Same deal with cardiovascular fitness, too. Nevertheless, do take safety into account in both cases, of course.

Time your rest periods:

• Resting for 2–3 minutes between sets ensures optimal recovery.
• Avoid getting distracted during rest by setting a timer to stay focused.
• 10almonds tip: use this time to practice a mindfulness meditation. That will greatly reduce the chance of you becoming distracted.

Remember holistic fitness:

• Fitness isn’t just about exercise; diet, sleep, and stress management are equally important for your fitness as much as for the rest of your health.
• Better sleep and reduced stress will help you exercise more consistently and avoid junk food.

Address burnout:

• If feeling too exhausted to apply these tips, focus on getting better rest and reducing stress first.
• Taking a short break to reset can help in the long run.

For more on all of this, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

You might also like to read:

• How To Do High Intensity Interval Training (Without Wrecking Your Body)
• How To Rest More Efficiently (Yes, Really)

Take care!