Wait, Do Gray Hair Serums Actually Work? We Asked The Pros

To be absolutely clear, there is nothing wrong or unnatural about gray hair. Going gray is just a fact of life—your hair ages as you do, and what a privilege it is to reach that milestone! Go ahead and embrace the platinum. (Here's how to care for it when you do.) 

Premature graying, however, tells a different story. Everybody gets grays, but some people lose pigment much earlier and faster than others, which is preventable to an extent. Gray hair serums promise to delay the process—and in some cases, even reverse silver strands to their original hue—but if you're iffy on their claims, you're not alone. 

First, it helps to understand how hair actually loses its hue over time. As you age, your pigment-producing cells (called melanocytes) start to deteriorate. "The melanocytes are pigment-producing cells located near the bulb of the hair and their stem cells," hair transplant surgeon James S. Calder, M.D., medical director of Ziering Medical, once told mbg about going gray.

When your hair ages, those melanocytes don't function as well or start to migrate away from the hair bulb, which causes a sprinkling of grays. As your follicles produce less melanin, they tend to produce less sebum (aka, the natural emollient that gives your skin and hair its moisture) as well, which is why gray hair also tends to be coarser in texture. 

Going gray is just natural, and it happens to everyone at some point. Unfortunately, there is no product—topical or ingestible—that can successfully prevent the process forever, but gray hair serums can prevent you from going gray earlier than you'd like.

"We know that graying of hair is caused by the loss of function of the pigment-producing cells within the hair follicles, which are known as melanocytes," Stanford University resident dermatologist James Kilgour, M.D., reminds us.

But what causes this process is often multifactorial, "including not only genetic factors but also because of melanocyte aging related to the environment and oxidative stress," he explains. "While no topical serum can alter the hereditary component of graying, there are opportunities to intervene in the environmental aging process." 

To counteract those environmental stressors, ingredients like amino acids and antioxidants can be helpful, says certified trichologist Taylor Rose. Think vitamin E, vitamin C, niacinamide, and fatty-acid-rich oils like sesame and sunflower. These help protect those precious melanin pigments, thereby maintaining the hair's natural hue. 

Ingredients like peptides and caffeine can also stimulate the follicles, which can help restore hair health (including its color). Not to mention, all of these ingredients help increase the overall shine and vibrancy of your strands, which can mask the appearance of scattered grays. 

Yes, you likely recognize most of these ingredients in your hair care formulas already, even if they aren't marketed as "gray hair" serums. But as the sector becomes more and more sophisticated, Kilgour tells me there are technologies in the works to prevent and actually reverse grays before they become noticeable. 

Now here's the thing: Many of the amino acids and antioxidants used in gray hair serums also make an appearance in hair growth serums. So what makes the former special? Or can we just chalk it all up to marketing language? 

According to Rose, some distinction is necessary. "Gray serums aim to protect melanin pigments, while hair growth serums work to provide essential nutrients to the hair follicle and increase circulation to the scalp to speed up hair growth," she says. There is some crossover here—many ingredients that protect against oxidative stress can also help stimulate follicles—so you can certainly find a serum that does both.

Generally, though, a gray hair serum will include more nutrients known for increasing shine and protecting pigment, while serums for thinning hair might feature more players lauded for hair growth properties (rosemary oil, pumpkin seed oil, and the like). 

Another caveat: You can't expect a gray hair serum to reverse a full head of silver, just like you wouldn't bank on a retinol-infused face cream to completely erase deeply etched wrinkles. It's important to have realistic expectations here. 

The best approach is to use the serums before those grays start making an appearance. "Preventative scalp care is similar to how you would use retinol on your facial skin to protect against future wrinkles," notes Kilgour. Some research has shown a reversal effect1, but it was found in those with premature graying (i.e., silver strands on the earlier side).