What Causes Grey Facial Hair?

Graying hair is an unavoidable part of the aging process--although it is possible to cover it up with some carefully applied dye. Facial hair isn't exempt from this process. There are ways to keep your facial hair from appearing gray, although it may be easiest just to adapt to your new, silver-haired look.

Features

Hair is made up of two parts--the shaft, which is the part we see, and the follicle which sits under the skin and looks like a white bulb. The follicle contains melanin, the same material that colors our skin and which provides the hair shaft with color.

Effects

With age, the follicles produce less melanin, and without melanin, the hair shaft turns colorless--or grey, as we see it. The speed of this process is mainly determined by genetics.

Significance

Facial hair tends to go gray later than the hair on your head (the process tends to slow going downwards from the head, so people can have a gray head of hair but still have dark armpit or chest hair).

Prevention/Solution

If you'd like to keep gray out of a beard or mustache, there are specialized dyes that can be applied to the face, although you'll have to commit to frequent touch-ups and either search for a shade that coordinates with your hair or buy matching hair and facial dyes.

Expert Insight

The easiest method to get rid of gray facial hair is to shave it off.