Anyone else experience this? I started to get a few random white hairs in my beard about five years ago approaching age 30. Over the last four years, they rapidly grew from a small number to a percentage of my beard. Over the last year, the brakes started to come off.

In November, I left my horrible job situation. In the following months, I started to develop a bit of a Don King look to my beard as a large portion of the hairs that went white started to turn black again. I have some hairs that have a bit of white on the end, and some that are almost all white except for about an inch at the follicle is jet black.

Could stress do this? I've heard of it turning someone's hair white, but I thought that was an old wive's tale.

I am pretty sure it is true.

Stress causes your hair to turn white, since the body is busy using the pigment to cover your ass.

Overheard that from a guy in a bar in Boston.

LOL

Ok, I like that explanation!

Read this on the internet, so it must be true:

"If you are using any beard oil/softener, which contains even a single photosynthetic substance, it is bound to discolor your beard hair."

Is your first name Dorian, by any chance?

Divorce can drive this effect also.

Ez

William Hopper was the actor who played Paul Drake, the investigator on the Perry Mason TV series. Here is a quote on him:
Prior to being a Navy frogman doing underwater demolition in the Pacific during WW II his hair was dark blonde. The stress of the danger turned it permanently white.

Isn't it sunlight? lol

I wear a hat all the time. Always have my whole life. Most of my gray hair is below the hat line, an unfortunately quite discernible line.

I've had chin whiskers for about 20+ years, they're close to white now. When I grow out a beard the rest of it's salt and pepper.

Its some kind of additive in McDonald's French fries.

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:
Read this on the internet, so it must be true:

"If you are using any beard oil/softener, which contains even a single photosynthetic substance, it is bound to discolor your beard hair."

You know, I actually started using beard oil just about a month or so before I left my job. My wife mentioned that it seemed to hide the contrast between the hairs somewhat since they all had a bit of a sheen to them instead of dry dark and dry white.

quote:

Originally posted by Sig2340:
Is your first name Dorian, by any chance?

quote:

Originally posted by Ezra:
Divorce can drive this effect also.

Ez

Long time, Ezra! Good to see you around, man.

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
Isn't it sunlight? lol

I wear a hat all the time. Always have my whole life. Most of my gray hair is below the hat line, an unfortunately quite discernible line.

I've had chin whiskers for about 20+ years, they're close to white now. When I grow out a beard the rest of it's salt and pepper.

You know, had't considered that. I live in the Puget Sound region. Weird amounts of sun and glare in the winter time. I've had my hairline sun bleach almost blonde when I lived in Florida, but beard hair to go from stark white to jet black over about 1/8" of growth feels like something else. The hair sure doesn't look sun bleached.

quote:

Originally posted by RichardC:
Its some kind of additive in McDonald's French fries.

I uh.... joked to my wife about rubbing fries on my head to get things happening again and she said nothing, but gave me a look that said "probably nothing will help."

wcb9062: Not doin' it.

Gene Hillman: Thanks for that. I need to watch some Perry Mason.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
I am pretty sure it is true.

Stress causes your hair to turn white, since the body is busy using the pigment to cover your ass.

Overheard that from a guy in a bar in Boston.

I've seen gray hairs that have come out half gray half brown. I figure it was growing during a time of stress. Whether the stress thing is a myth or not, I don't know. but it kind of makes sense?

quote:

Could stress do this?

Yes. You'd be surprised by how many people actually have less gray in their hair (and, yes, beards) after leaving law school.

Wish I had your problem, mine keeps getting grayer

quote:

Originally posted by Ezra:
Divorce can drive this effect also.

Ez

I’ve been telling my wife for years that my hair was totally brown before I got married, but she isn’t buying it.