The gray hair trend has reached world sport. More and more often you can see professional athletes, fitness trainers, football players and hockey players with a natural appearance. They have no qualms about showing their gray hair and actively posting photos on social media. Thus, athletes declare that the internal component, achievements and professionalism are more important to them than generally accepted beauty standards. Also… It seems like they want to rewrite these standards by showing that gray hair can look really cool.
Unfortunately, not all fans sympathize with the natural trend. Fans are divided into two camps: those who admire the courage of their idols and those who condemn them, categorically rejecting such images. Athletes’ social media pages are filled with thousands of comments. There is both admiration and bewilderment at the calls to “put oneself in order.”
Anna Vesna, yoga instructor
Photo: personal archive of Anna Vesna.
Athletes who decide to show off their gray hair to the world community, meanwhile, take the attacks from abroad in stride. Let us not forget that these people have achieved heights and have a strong and strong-willed character. They boldly show their natural appearance and do not hide the silver color under the paint. Some even dye their hair specifically an ashy shade!
Footballer Robin van Persie
Photo: Cees van Hoogdalem/Getty Images
When did the gray hair trend start?
The turning point here can be considered the year 2021, the period after the Covid pandemic. People forced to isolate could not visit hairdressers. Everything that was previously hidden became evident. And the stars were no exception, because the pandemic equalized everyone’s opportunities.
Many celebrities have realized that it no longer makes sense to hide their natural image. Some even cleverly incorporated gray hair into their personal style and, for many, it suited them very well. The first stars with a silver dye in their hair walked the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. Even the actresses were not ashamed of their gray locks.
Andie MacDowell at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival
Photo: Stephane Cardinale/Getty Images
Later, the trend was taken up by bloggers, artists and athletes. Silver hair color has become popular. Public figures declared with their appearance that gray hair is not a sign of carelessness, carelessness or aging, but a manifestation of naturalness and freedom to choose a lifestyle.
Fitness model Blakely Jones
Photo: Blakely Jones personal archive
The British international business daily even recorded a new fashion trend among men and women in early 2023. European journalists have observed that more and more people appear in public with natural hair color. Famous directors, actors, footballers and hockey players become fashion trendsetters and help you relax and love your appearance with all its imperfections.
Athletes also followed the trend. It is increasingly common to see bodybuilders, fitness trainers and yoga teachers who have no qualms about showing their natural hair color to the public.
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Bodybuilder and fitness trainer Pavel Ladziyak
Photo: personal archive of Pavel Ladziyak.
Does sport affect the appearance of early gray hair?
Hair turns gray when cells called melanocytes become damaged and die. They are responsible for the production of the pigment melanin. When it is deficient, growing hair takes on a white, silver or gray tint. This process is influenced by genetics, individual characteristics of the body, diseases, congenital and acquired. Stress can cause premature graying, but only indirectly. But professional sports and physical activity do not correlate with the appearance of a silver tint on the strands.
Fitness model Tanya Darby
Photo: personal archive of Tanya Darby.
doctor, plastic surgeon
“One of the popular opinions that stress causes gray hair has not been scientifically confirmed. Nervous breakdowns can affect melanin production, as they cause vascular spasms, so the hair follicles do not receive enough nutrition, but these are just assumptions.
There is also no reliable data that explains the appearance of a silver tint in the hair due to physical exercise. Regular exercise cannot stop or reverse this process. “There is no relationship between gray hair and sports performance.”
The usual thing is for gray hair to appear between the ages of 40 and 50. The rate of change depends on genetics, gender and even race. African Americans tend to gray later than Caucasians, while Asians fall somewhere in between. Women tend to go gray later than men.
Nikki Adams, Pilates instructor
Photo: Nikki Adams personal archive.
So, what influences the appearance of the first gray hair?
The age at which gray hair appears is determined mainly by genetics. Therefore, if one or both parents had silver highlights at a young age, you are more likely to also have a similar hair color at the same time. The IRF4 gene is to blame for this.
Smoking, bad habits and poor diet can also accelerate hair color change. Additionally, early aging can be a sign of an autoimmune disease, thyroid, or heart disease.
Yoga Instructor Katie
Photo: Katie’s personal archive.
Poor environmental conditions, excessive exposure to chemical dyes, and lack of proper hair care also affect the appearance of silver dye. Therefore, the presence of gray hair is not necessarily an indicator of health problems. This may be due to your genetic predisposition. There is no need to worry about this. Especially now, when the trend towards naturalness is gaining momentum. Try to incorporate silver strands into your new image and love yourself.
At the same time, if gray hair suddenly overtook you at a fairly young age and there is no one in the family who has gray hair early, then this is a reason to consult a specialist. He will help rule out the presence of diseases of the pituitary or thyroid gland, genetic disorders, especially autoimmune ones.
Activities that will help you stay in shape:
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