6 Effective Ways to Prevent and Delay Grey Hair

September 10, 2026 BY JAY SMALL, HAIRSTYLIST AND CO-FOUNDER OF AREYMedically Reviewed by Dr. Jennifer Weinberg MD MPH MBE

Can You Delay Grey Hair Naturally?

Next time you look in your bathroom mirror, imagine yourself with a few grey strands. Then a few more. Now visualize yourself with a full head of grey hair. How are you feeling about your new look? If you’re anything like most of my clients, you might want to have some control over your greying process. Now for the good news – did you know that it is possible to prevent and delay grey hair?

Maybe you’re OK with some silver visitors someday since it’s simply a natural part of aging. Alternatively, maybe you’re looking for ways to proactively prevent and delay grey hair. As a haircare professional I know that everyone reacts differently to their going grey. Deciding to embrace or cover your greys with hair dye or other methods is a deeply personal choice. Only you know what is right for you.

When we co-founded Arey, Allison and I dug deep into the science behind going grey. That science fuels our core anti-grey hair treatments that are clinically-proven to address the major non-genetic causes of grey hair. Unlike synthetic hair dyes that only mask the problem, our formulas are designed to support your natural color from within.

Key Takeaways

Proactive grey hair prevention is most effective when your hair is under 30% grey - at this stage, pigment-producing cells are likely still active.
The majority of non-genetic factors in hair aging include nutritional deficiencies (B12, D3, iron), chronic stress, and smoking.
You can neutralize the oxidative stress that strips hair color by combining internal vitamin supplementation with topical antioxidant serums..

How Can You Prevent Grey Hair?

As a Trichologist (hair and scalp health expert), this is probably the question I get asked the most by my clients. And the simple answer is that preventing grey hair is easier than reversing it.

Getting proactive about delaying your grey hair means assessing your current percentage of grey strands. If your hair is less than 30% grey you will see the best results from Arey’s proactive grey hair solutions.

Grey hair appears in part because of your genetic heritage. However, the timing and amount of grey hair is significantly influenced by non-genetic factors, including your lifestyle, the environment, aging and potentially stress.¹

Woman uses Arey To The Root hair growth serum on her hair

Are you ready to be the hero of your grey hair journey, no matter your type of hair? Here are 6 effective ways to prevent and delay grey hair:

1. Reduce Stress to Prevent Pigment Loss

Can you really go grey from stress? A 2021 medical study did find a link between color changes in hair and periods of reported stress.² The study found that when you are under a lot of stress, some hair cells may lose their pigment earlier. If stress is reduced, repigmentation can occur.

a person meditating and quote from Jay about stress levels

Researchers believe that²stress can turn hair grey by affecting the stem cells (melanocytes) that generate hair pigment. They were excited to see that the process was reversible – when one study participant reported an increase in stress, a hair was seen to lose its pigment. When they reported a reduction in stress, the same hair regained its pigment.

2. Fill Nutritional Gaps to Protect Hair Melanin

You need the right nutrients to boost your body’s production of melanin – the pigment that gives your hair its unique color. If your diet is deficient in vitamins B12, D3, copper,⁴calcium⁵ or iron, your hair strands are more likely to turn grey.⁶

Arey Grey Grpahic shows greying process

If you’re not always consuming the perfect balance of nutrients for your hair health, you’re not alone. No one’s diet is perfect. The Linus Pauling Institute’s Micronutrient Information Center⁷ found that almost 80% of Americans don’t eat enough of the fresh fruit and vegetables that provide nutrients essential for healthy hair pigmentation.

Delaying Grey Hair Means Getting the Right Balance of Nutrients

Great hair starts from the inside. That’s why we launched our science-backed haircare system with Not Today, Grey™, a nutritional grey hair supplement designed to prevent and even repigment grey hair.

Not Today, Grey™ contains B12, iron, and D3 as well as these other science-backed vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants (molecules that prevent damage to your cells).

Here's how Not Today, Grey™ works to boost your hair growth and stimulate melanin production for your hair:

Vitamin B6: (as pyridoxine HCI). B6 supports pigment production to help maintain melanin levels.
Folate: also known as folic acid. Folic acid boosts your hair growth and volume. It even slows the rate of grey hair growth.⁸
Vitamin B10: (PABA). Studies show that PABA leads to hair darkening and helps grey hair return to its original color.⁹
Fo-Ti: this widely-used Asian herb is popular for its anti-aging properties, including reversing grey hair. It is thought to restore melanin levels.¹⁰
Black sesame: this nutrient-rich oilseed contains high levels of antioxidants and vitamins E, A, and B which promote melanocyte activity.¹¹

The sooner you start to properly nourish your hair, the sooner you will see results.

3. Stop Grey Hair at the Root

The Arey system is designed to nourish your hair from the inside-out and the outside-in. For best results, we recommend combining our Not Today, Grey™ supplement with our topical serum, anti-grey hair serum, To The Root®. This non-greasy lightweight serum delivers a potent cocktail of clinically effective ingredients directly to your roots.

To The Root® delivers a powerful antioxidant (Citrus reticulata ) that combats greying caused by oxidative stress . Oxidative stress occurs when there is an overgrowth of free radicals (unstable atoms that can damage cells) that attack the pigment-producing cells around your hair follicles. Antioxidants are like an off-switch for free radicals.

Citrus reticulata helps combat grey hair in two powerful ways:

COMBATS oxidative stress turning your hair grey.
SLOWS pigment loss by stimulating pigment (melanin) production.

The combination of To The Root® and Not Today, Grey™ is the core of our grey hair treatment system, so we created a convenient bundle called The System .

4. Why Smokers Go Grey Earlier

Nicotine is extremely addictive and quitting smoking can be tough. But the best gift you can give your hair and your future self is to stop smoking.

Here’s what smoking does to your hair:

Reduces blood flow to your follicles: strands starved of nutrient and oxygen-rich blood are more prone to weakness and hair loss.¹²
Causes premature hair greying: studies¹³ show a higher instance of grey hair in smokers over 30.

It’s not just your hair that will thank you for giving up smoking. Research shows that your body has a remarkable ability to repair itself after you quit – even reversing some of the damage caused by smoking.¹⁴

5. Protect Your Hair From Sun and Environmental Damage

It’s not just your skin that suffers from too much sun exposure. Ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun affect your hair color and health by causing an increase in oxidative stress around your hair roots.

Live in Mist and protecting your skin from the sun

The best ways to protect your hair from sun damage:

Wear a hat – a physical barrier to UV rays is your best protection.
Use sun protection for your hair – UV exposure adds up over time, so using daily protection is key.
Avoid peak UV hours – dermatologists recommend seeking shade during peak sun hours from 10am to 4pm.

Sun protection measures for your hair help reduce damage from oxidative stress. That means less impact on your pigment-producing cells and a healthier scalp overall.

6. Know When to Ask For Hair Help

According to a 2018 review in the International Journal of Trichology,⁴ premature greying of hair can also be caused by certain health conditions including autoimmune and thyroid disorders. If you feel that your hair is greying too fast or too early be sure to check in with your doctor.

What Actually Causes Grey Hair?

Going grey is a natural aging process, but knowing the causes of grey hair can help you plan. Changes in your pigment producing cells (melanocytes) begin long before you start to see silver strands. Each hair follicle houses a hair bulb, where melanocytes produce the pigment that colors your hair shaft. Over time, melanocytes in hair follicles slow down, and eventually hair follicles stop producing melanin altogether.

Aging, nutritional deficiencies, and oxidative stress all combine to cause a gradual drop off in pigment production until those first greys start to appear – usually along your temple or crown.

What Age Does Grey Hair Usually Start?

Your individual genetics and your ethnicity do influence the timing of when you see your first greys. White, Hispanic, and Latino people tend to go grey in their mid 30s, while Thai and Chinese people, and people of African descent, are likely to go grey in their 40s. Lifestyle, nutritional, and environmental factors also play a significant role in how early and how fast you go grey.

FAQs About Preventing Grey Hair

Does plucking a grey hair make more grow back in its place?

No. Each follicle produces its own pigment independent of neighboring follicles. The real downside of plucking grey strands is that you can damage your hair follicle over time, impacting growth or even causing infections.

Why does grey hair feel coarser than the rest of your hair?

Grey hair tends to be dryer than pigmented hair so your greys may feel coarser and more wiry. This is usually not a structural issue, but more about lack of moisture.

Is greying inherited from one side of the family more than the other?

It’s a myth that greying is inherited from only one parent – the timing of when you go grey is inherited from both parents equally.

Proactive Science-Backed Haircare That Delays Grey Hair

I am often asked when’s the best time to start using Arey’s The System. My answer is always the same – the sooner the better. Why? Because it’s easier to prevent grey hair than it is to repigment your strands. We want you to get proactive about your grey hair because Not Today, Grey™, and To The Root® work best on hair that is in the early stages of going grey With less than 30% grey.

Most of our customers see results in 3-6 months. That's how long it takes for your hair to show the benefits of the targeted nutrition and science-backed ingredients to boost your overall hair health.

At Arey, we care about your hair health – that’s why we offer up to 25% off on all subscription orders to help keep you on track with your hair health goals. Because we believe that science + consistency = results.

We are Arey.

We want you to feel happy and confident with your hair. Have questions? Send us an email hey@arey.com or go to our FAQ page.

Jay Small with customer

AuthorJay SmallJay Small is a sought-after hair stylist and Trichologist in Los Angeles with over 22 years of experience. His clients consist of high-profile business and creative leaders. He trained as an apprentice to the owner of Paul Mitchell and worked in education and product development for Paul Mitchell Systems. Jay is incredibly passionate about the creative process both in terms of styling hair and developing effective products.

REFERENCES:

Is Grey Hair Genetic? What You Can Do About It

The Connection Between Grey Hair and Vitamin Deficiency

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