It is a myth that plucking gray hair will cause 10 more to crop up. Plucking one gray hair will o…

It is a myth that plucking gray hair will cause 10 more to crop up. Plucking one gray hair will only cause one new gray hair to grow out of the same hair follicle. Gray hair occurs when the cells in hair follicles known as melanocytes cease to produce pigment, the primary one being melanin. Two types of melanin within the pigmentation of hair follicles determine hair color, eumelanin, and pheomelanin. The more eumelanin one has, the darker one’s hair color. Surrounding hairs will not turn gray or white until the pigment cells in those follicles die. If there is a gray hair you must get rid of, very carefully cut it off. Plucking can traumatize the hair follicle, and repeated trauma to any follicle can cause infection, scar formation or possibly lead to bald patches excessive plucking or pulling of grey hairs - or any hairs - can lead to hair loss or thinning in places.