Gray Hair: What Causes It & Why It's Not Purely Gray

You're absolutely right! There's no such thing as "gray" hair. It's actually a mixture of colored and white hairs.

Here's why:

* Melanin: Hair gets its color from a pigment called melanin. As we age, our bodies produce less melanin.

* White Hair: When hair follicles stop producing melanin, the hair appears white.

* Gray Hair: The gray we see is a combination of hair strands that are still producing some melanin (resulting in various shades of brown, blonde, or even red) and strands that are completely white. This creates a mix of colors that appears gray.

So, "gray" is just the way our eyes perceive the mix of colored and white hairs.