I've had the same strand of gray hair near my hairline for about 10 years. I don't know how it happened, it just came upon me one day and I've been cursed with it ever since. My gray strand and I have had a love/hate relationship — though up until I finally said "Stop plucking your gray hair!" it was mostly hatred. I had been dyeing my hair blue/black for years, so I'm sure it would have gone unnoticed if it weren't for the amount of debt after college that had me take a break from the luxury of box dye.
Now, there are only two things about old age that I'm looking forward to: 1. Complaining about what the kids are listening to on the radio and 2. A gray afro. Whenever I've seen a mixture of black and gray hair, I've swooned at the blend of colors, especially on a healthy set of curls. While I look forward to my new, naturally gray color, the slow crawl of having a strand here and an awkward strand there is brutal. It's hard to resist plucking at them to keep my hair color consistent. Alas, there are almost zero benefits to the temporary departure of a gray strand, so you should think before you pluck.
Plucking gray hair from your head certainly isn't the worst beauty habit you can have... right now. However, like most irresistible, bad habits, it leads to some unsightly problems down the road. Here are seven reasons to just stop the plucking. Now.
1. It can ruin your hair texture.
According to sources at The Gloss, every time you pluck a gray hair, you run the risk of damaging the natural texture of the strand which can lead to new growth becoming wiry.
2. It won't get rid of gray for good.
You aren't fooling your scalp when you pluck a gray strand: The follicle is still gray and will grow back that way. You might not get any NEW grays from plucking, but it certainly won't reduce the amount in the long run.
3. You could damage your scalp.
If you keep up the plucking repeatedly, the hair follicles can become permanently damaged from all that tugging. Not a good look.
4. It's a waste of time.
Girl, you definitely have better things to do than stand in front of a mirror obsessing over gray hairs. They look awesome. Let's go get drinks.
5. It could thin your hair for good.
According to sources at Health Tap, plucking damages the root of your hair, which can lead to permanent loss of hair growth in that area. Are hairless patches really better than a couple of grays?
6. Cutting is quicker and safer.
Sources at the Huffington Post suggest instead of plucking, cutting the strand is the best way to get rid of gray hairs. You won't be tugging at the follicle, and can snip away to your heart's content. Really though, why would you? After all...
7. Gray hair is cool now, haven't you heard?!
Bloggers, celebrities, that tattoo'd chick you envy at the coffee shop day after day... literally everyone hip is going gray on purpose these days. If you're going gray naturally, you get to save on the cost of hair dye. Score.
Image: Femme Run , Winter_1983/Flickr; Giphy
