Take the stress out of going grey by just going grey before you start

Life can be pretty stressful.A study ranking the most stressful events in life had getting divorced at number two while getting married was at number seven, so at least you had some practice dealing with it, writes Steve N Allen.

Scientists now say they may have discovered that stress makes your hair go grey.

Science really is just catching up on things we already knew.

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I bet there’s a team following bears around with a bucket and a map (spoiler alert, you might want to head to the woods).

The researchers from American and Brazil teamed up to do experiments on mice.

They found stem cells that control skin and hair colour became damaged after intense stress.

Firstly, did they realise that some mice are white already? I hope so.

Secondly, how much stress does a mouse go through?

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I thought this would explain why, if you have faced redundancy or are moving house, you might start to notice the odd grey strand.

Do mice worry about job losses?

Does Mr Mouse go home and tell his wife that Bagpuss has announced cutbacks and they all have to reapply for their positions?

How can this research help humans?

If you want to keep your glowing, coloured hair avoid the stress of going near cats?

The stem cells that create hair colour are used up doing times of stress.

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Does this mean the more hair cells you have the better you will be at dealing with stress?

That is more bad news for balding people like myself, although if you include back hair I might be the most resilient person alive.

As ever, I think this piece of science news can help me get to my first million.

I’m going to make money selling grey hair dye.

Not hair dye for grey hair, dye to turn your hair grey.

Everyone loves to claim that they’re really busy and stressed these days. If you ask how someone has been they will tell you how much of a challenge they’re up against in a bid to get some sympathy from you.

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With Steve N Allen’s new improved Greycian 2000 you can look like you’re so stressed your stem cells ran out years ago.

Steve N Allen is a comedian and broadcaster who was raised in Sutton-in-Ashfield.

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