Obama's Advice for Trudeau: Start Dyeing Your Hair Early

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President Obama has been known to joke about the prevalence of his gray hairs, especially in the years since he took office, and today, he offered up some advice on the subject to Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, telling him, "if he plans to keep his dark hair, then you have to start dyeing it early."

The president admitted that when he came into office he had no gray hairs, now he has a lot. But in the past, he shrugged off those that attributed his gray hairs to stress, saying his grandfather went gray at 29. And he's right. While stress may play a role in the appearance of gray hair, in the end, it really comes down to genetics and aging. Which means, if you want to know your risk level, take a look at your parents and grandparents and when they grayed, it can give you an idea of what you can expect.Though it varies by individual, on average, the onset of gray hair can usually be seen around age 30 for men and age 35 for women, but for others, it can occur much earlier, and some, much later.

As of right now, there isn't a lot we can do to prevent or delay the onset of gray hair, but that might not be in the case in the future, thanks to a recent discovery that found the first gene link to graying hair. The gene, IRF4 was known to affect color, but the research found that it also plays a unique role in the transition to grey. More research will have to be conducted, but this news could lead to a lot fewer people dyeing their hair in the future.