Over the years, we’ve addressed the dilemma faced by many older women (and men): Whether to allow hair to turn naturally gray or whether to try to stem the tide by coloring your hair or in some other way minimizing the appearance of gray hair. During the COVID pandemic, it was a rite of passage for many older women to forego salon appointments or to stop buying home coloring products and just let nature take its course. But in fact, it’s not so easy for nature to just take its course, especially if that process is slow and uneven in ways unexpected or difficult to manage. For one woman’s personal journey and progress notes 2 years into letting her hair turn gray, put aside your hand mirror and take a look here.

For those of you not yet deep in the throws of “going gray,” you may want to read about a brand new study published in the journal Antioxidants. In this study of mice (who share a similar process of going gray with humans), it was found that the antioxidant luteolin, when given to mice both internally and externally, minimized the appearance of gray hair. Luteolin is found in many foods, including broccoli, carrots, onions, celery, and green peppers. While scientists are unclear as to exactly why luteolin has this effect on the growth of gray hair, they do see this research as a promising first step in the possible development of a product to stop or lessen the growth of gray hair in humans. There is already existing research showing the anti-inflammatory properties of luteolin in the management of chronic pain and even cancer. For more on this possible gray hair breakthrough, take a look here and here.

In the meantime, both men and women continue to ponder whether and when to allow hair to go gray. In this day and age, older men (including prominent Hollywood stars) are clearly marching alongside mature women in deciding to use color products to lessen or even outright eliminate the gray in their hair. Women continue to be conflicted about coloring their hair, though the momentum for going “natural” continues onward. For a fresh perspective on this quandary that so many women face, you may want to turn your attention to a recent documentary, “Your Roots Are Showing,” produced and directed by Ilise Harris, a celebrated makeup and hair artist who’s worked with famous clients for over 45 years and who has documented the movement embraced by women the world over to allow their hair to reflect its natural gray color. The film has become somewhat of a feminist cri de coeur of older women freed from the traditional constraints of what they are supposed to do or how they are supposed to look. You can follow the conversation by going to the movie’s Instagram page here, or listen to a recent podcast featuring Ilise Harris and what she’s come to learn, from her own experiences going gray and from the women interviewed in this provocative new documentary. And you can watch the film’s trailer here.