Can a pill stop grey hair?
Updated: Jan. 27, 2011
The manufacturers of a new supplement say their product could restore your hair colour in two weeks. Here’s what you need to know about the grey-hair pill
Source: Best Health Magazine, January/February 2011
‘Go Away Gray‘ is a natural supplement now on the market in the U.S. ‘It combines plant-derived catalase with vitamin B6, folic acid, zinc, saw palmetto and horsetail (all are said to also make hair healthier). Natural supplements seller Cathy Beggan worked with an R&D team to develop it, and says hair regains its colour within three months of daily use. It costs about US$30 for a month’s supply.
The ‘secret ingredient’ is the catalase. Why? Hair produces its own hydrogen peroxide, and a 2009 study by U.K. researchers found that this bleach builds up when there’s a reduction in one of the hair’s enzymes’catalase’suggesting hair goes grey because it bleaches itself out.
During the development stage, Beggan tested Go Away Gray on her assistant’s husband. His full head of grey started to regain its natural colour in two weeks.
Canadians can buy it online, but access isn’t the concern, says Dr. Peter Vignjevic, a Hamilton dermatologist. ‘Enzymes taken orally can break down in the stomach. How would they get to your hair without being changed?’ Also, any new formulation, even one with natural ingredients, could have adverse effects. But, he adds, ‘if it works, and is safe, this woman will be a billionaire.’
This article was originally titled "What? A Grey-Hair Pill?" in the January/February 2011 issue of Best Health. Subscribe today to get the full Best Health experience’and never miss an issue!’and make sure to check out what’s new in the latest issue of Best Health.
