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.

Huffington Post - 9 Stars Who Actually Look Better With Gray Hair

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Huffington Post recently did a fun slideshow, highlighting 9 stars who actually look better with gray hair. George Clooney of course made the cut, he is joined by John Stewart, Hugh Grant, Helen Mirren, and others, who have went against Hollywood standards and opted to age naturally, and it has clearly worked for them. 

You can see the full slideshow, here. 

Another thing to notice, specifically with the men on the list, is how many of them seem to be beating the odds against hair loss. By the age of 50, men have a 50% chance of losing their hair, so to see such full hairlines is quite an impressive accomplishment! 

Kelly Osbourne Goes (Faux) Gray

Kelly Osbourne recently had heads turning when she stepped out with GRAY hair! Obviously, this is a case of some serious hair dye - but it got me thinking: how much do most people know about real gray hair?

For instance, did you know that most Caucasians start developing gray hair in their mid-30s? That gray hair takes longer for other ethnicities - for instance, African-Americans, on average, have until their mid-40s before they start going gray.

So, when should we expect Kelly to start going gray - for real? She was born in 1984, so best guess is 2019. 

As of right now, there isn't a lot we can do to prevent or delay the onset of gray hair, but that may change in the near future. Cosmetic company L'Oreal announced late last year they are working on a pill to reverse the process of graying hair, but the catch is, it only works after the process has started, so it can't prevent gray hair from appearing altogether. Regardless of how or when it gets rid of gray hair, the pill, which they say won't hit the market until 2015, is already garnering national attention. We'll have to stay tuned to learn more about how the pill works and whether or not it is a viable option for consumers. 

Obama: Genetics, Not Stress Behind Gray Hair

During an interview this week President Obama, 50, made a comment about his gray hair, which he noted disappears after he gets a haircut. While some media outlets jumped on the comment as an opportunity to talk about how he handles the stress of the job. Obama quickly clarified that his gray hair was the result of genetics, and not stress, explaining that his grandfather was gray by 29. 

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 may change in the near future. Cosmetic company L'Oreal announced last month they are working on a pill to reverse the process of graying hair, but the catch is, it only works after the process has started, so it can't prevent gray hair from appearing altogether. Regardless of how or when it gets rid of gray hair, the pill, which they say won't hit the market until 2015, is already garnering national attention. We'll have to stay tuned to learn more about how the pill works and whether or not it is a viable option for consumers. 

Lady Gaga Goes (Faux) Gray

Award-winning singer Lady Gaga emerged in London last Friday sporting GRAY hair! Obviously, this is a case of some serious hair dye - but it got me thinking: how much do most people know about real gray hair?


For instance, did you know that most Caucasians start developing gray hair in their mid-30s? That gray hair takes longer for other ethnicities - for instance, African-Americans, on average, have until their mid-40s before they start going gray.


A good discussion about the causes of gray hair can be found on AOL's Health page: http://www.aolhealth.com/2009/11/09/gray-hair/.


So, when should we expect Lady Gaga to start going gray - for real? She was born in 1986, so best guess is 2021.