Elder Millenial here with a lot of grays coming in lately, and I need to know! Why is the texture different?
In: Biology
Yup – grey hairs are compositionally different from your other hair. This makes them stand out as they are more wirey than everything else.
Grey hairs are usually drier
I was born to answer this question.
Gray hairs do not have melanin. Melanin is like little balls inside your hair shaft giving it color. When your hair goes gray and your body doesn’t put little color balls in your hair, your hair doesn’t have little holes for the color balls.
Without the little holes, the hair isn’t as flexible, just like it’s a lot easier to bend perforated cardboard than it is to bend straight pieces of cardboard.
Gray hairs feel different because they change as you get older. It’s like if you had a crayon that starts smooth and colorful, but over time, it loses its color and gets rougher. Your gray hairs don’t have the color they used to, which makes them a little thicker and less soft. Also, your head doesn’t make as much of the oil that keeps your hair smooth, so the gray ones feel drier and stick up more easily. That’s why gray hairs are more “bendy” or “wiry” than your regular hair!
Latest Answers