Fact Or Fiction: If You Pluck A Gray Hair, Will More Grow In Its Place? Experts Weigh In

Is there any weight behind the commonly held claim? We consulted celebrity colorist and Redken brand ambassador Matt Rez to separate fact from fiction. 

Lo and behold, "This is a total myth!" says Rez. "More will not grow in its place." Think about it: Only one hair grows per follicle, so plucking a single hair won't necessarily spark other gray hairs to sprout. If you do notice more grays popping up, it's likely due to natural aging—not because you've pulled out a lone strand. (Of course, if these are premature grays, you might be able to slow down the silver; see how you can prevent those gray strands here.)

This, of course, doesn't give you permission to pluck every gray you lay eyes on. Even if you remove the hair from the follicle, the new one will grow back gray—it's an internal process that happens when your pigment-producing cells start to deteriorate, so removing the actual strand does next to nothing. Plus, pulling out hairs can cause trauma to the follicle; it may even become damaged and die if you do it over and over again—once that happens, the hair will never be able to grow back. 

The bottom line? There might not be more grays peppered throughout your strands, necessarily, but the ones you do have may look and feel more noticeable. You still shouldn't pluck gray hairs—not because more grays will follow in its wake but because plucking hair, in general, is not a good practice. Best to embrace the gray or follow some expert coloring methods.