“If you pluck a gray hair, it will grow back as a gray hair.”

This scientific review explains the biology of hair graying: “Hair color is determined by the presence of melanin pigments produced by follicular melanocytes… With aging, melanocyte function in the hair follicle bulb is progressively lost, resulting in gray or white hair shafts.” Once the follicular melanocytes are depleted, newly formed hairs from that follicle lack pigment. The paper does not discuss plucking specifically, but indicates that the follicle’s pigment status, not hair removal, determines whether regrown hair is colored or gray.

A 2023 review on gray hair biology explains that hair color depends on melanocyte stem cells (McSCs) in the follicle and that pigment production occurs only during the growth (anagen) phase: "Hair pigmentation only happens during anagen because the melanogenic HFPU exists in this period." It describes how bulge McSCs survive the cycle and then "differentiate into melanogenic melanocytes" in a new anagen to rebuild pigmentation. The paper documents that individual gray hairs can sometimes repigment but does not present evidence that a plucked gray hair regrows with a different color; pigment loss is linked to depletion or dysfunction of McSCs rather than the act of plucking per se.

This review on using plucked human hairs for research describes structural and cellular changes after plucking but does not indicate that plucking changes hair color. It notes that plucking permits investigation into pigment cells and that "Gho and colleagues investigated and confirmed the presence of stem cells in plucked anagen hair follicles" and that stem cells and signaling molecules (e.g., cytokeratin 19, GSK‑3/β‑catenin) can be studied in the plucked follicles. The article does not report any phenomenon in which plucking gray hairs causes them to regrow with a different (non‑gray) color.

This review of hair graying (canities) notes that hair color is determined by melanin production in hair follicles and that graying involves “a progressive loss of melanocytes from the hair bulb” leading to depigmented (gray/white) hairs. It describes graying as a permanent change at the follicle level once melanocytes are lost. The paper does not discuss plucking but supports the concept that, after melanocyte loss, any hair regenerated from that follicle will emerge gray or white.

This review of hair graying (canities) explains that graying occurs when melanocyte activity in the hair follicle bulb ceases. Once the melanocytes in a follicle are depleted or nonfunctional, the hair shaft produced by that follicle is depigmented (gray or white). The article does not describe any mechanism by which plucking a hair would restore melanocyte function; regrown hairs from the same follicle therefore remain depigmented.

UAMS family and preventive medicine physician Dr. Shaskank Kraleti, M.D., states: “Plucking a gray hair will only get you a new gray hair in its place because there is only one hair that is able to grow per follicle. Your surrounding hairs will not turn white until their own follicles’ pigment cells die.” He explains that hair turns gray or white when the pigment cells in the follicle die, and “when you pluck a hair a new one will grow in its place and because the pigment cells are no longer producing pigment, this new hair will also be white.”

This dermatology review of canities (hair graying) explains that hair becomes gray or white when the melanocyte population in the hair bulb is depleted or its function is impaired. It emphasizes that after melanocyte depletion, "the hair shaft that subsequently emerges is depigmented" and that this is a persistent change at the follicle level. The article discusses available management strategies but does not describe any evidence that mechanical removal (plucking) of an already gray hair will cause the replacement hair to regain pigmentation.

The NYU Langone study, based on mouse experiments, explains how pigment-producing capacity is lost when melanocyte stem cells become "stuck" in a non‑productive part of the follicle. It states that in forced aging by repeated plucking, "the number of hair follicles with McSCs lodged in the follicle bulge increased from 15 percent before plucking to nearly half after forced aging. These cells remained incapable of regenerating or maturing into pigment-producing melanocytes." The article adds that by contrast, melanocyte stem cells that remain mobile can continue to regenerate and produce pigment over time.

“Plucking one gray hair does not impact the hair follicles around it since the surrounding cells are still alive and will maintain our natural hair color.” The article notes that once pigment‑producing cells in a hair follicle die, the hair shows no color and appears gray. It adds: “Plucking a gray hair does not affect the other hair follicles, but it does damage that one follicle you pluck… It may seem like plucking one gray hair leads to others, but that’s probably just your head aging.”

Under the myth “Plucking them will only bring more,” Sharp HealthCare writes: “Truth: Gray hair is caused by the retiring of cells that provide pigment within your hair’s follicles. Removing a hair from a follicle doesn’t have anything to do with the hair around it.” Dermatologist Dr. Mona Mofid adds that pulling hair out is “not the best idea” because repeated plucking can damage the follicle and prevent new hair from growing, but does not suggest that plucking changes the color of regrowth.

“The notion that plucking grey hair causes more grey hair to grow is a myth,” says the expert. “Plucking grey hair doesn’t influence the surrounding hair follicles or the melanocytes responsible for hair colour. Each hair follicle operates independently, and plucking one hair doesn’t affect the others. As hair grows back, new hair may emerge with varying degrees of pigmentation, including grey or white.”

“A gray hair can be momentarily removed by plucking,” explained hair expert Lauren Holland. “They will ultimately grow back, just like strands that fall out naturally. It will be the same shade as the one you pulled out when it does, too.” Holland later adds, “Plucking one gray hair won't cause more gray hairs to grow back. Each follicle has its unique genetic makeup. Plucking one hair does not affect the neighboring hairs.”

Summarizing the same NYU Nature study, this article notes that repeated depilation and plucking in mice increase the proportion of melanocyte stem cells trapped in the bulge region, leading to gray hair. It reports: "To experimentally accelerate hair follicle aging, Sun and colleagues performed repeated depilation of mice at every telogen phase... By the seventh telogen phase the percentage of McSCs trapped in the Bg increased from 10% to more than 50%. Furthermore, McSCs in the HG were depleted and the hair of the mice turned gray." The authors caution that in humans "repeatedly depilating or plucking hairs during the telogen phase could hypothetically accelerate hair graying" but emphasize that human studies have not yet been conducted.

“There’s an oft-repeated myth that pulling out one gray hair causes ten more to grow in its place. That’s not true—but it’s still not a good idea to pluck your grays.” The dermatologist quoted notes that plucking does not change the hair color: gray hairs that grow back will still be gray, and repeated plucking can damage the follicle and potentially lead to permanent loss of that hair.

The article explains: “Plucking a gray hair will not cause more gray hairs to grow back in its place. Each hair follicle operates independently.” It further clarifies: “When you pluck a gray hair, it will eventually grow back from the same follicle, as the follicle itself is still active… Plucking a gray hair does not cause multiple hairs to grow back from a single follicle. Each follicle can produce only one hair at a time.”

This consumer‑facing article discusses the myth that plucking gray hairs changes hair color or increases their number. It states: "We've squashed the plucking legend—it doesn't breed more, but it can mess up your scalp." The piece explains that graying is due to loss of pigment and that plucking gray hairs does not restore color; instead, it risks damaging the follicle, which can lead to thinning rather than a change in pigmentation.

A longstanding popular belief holds that if you pluck a gray hair, multiple gray hairs will grow back in its place or that plucking one gray hair somehow changes neighboring hairs. This folk claim does not distinguish between the biological mechanism of pigment loss in follicles and cosmetic hair removal, and it is not supported by dermatologic research; it is included here as context for why people sometimes assume plucked gray hairs will grow back differently.

In this short video aimed at debunking hair myths, the presenter states that plucking a gray hair does not cause more gray hairs to grow and that the same follicle will produce another gray hair because the pigment cells are already exhausted. The video does not cite primary medical sources and is presented as general advice.