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Tired of pesky gray hairs? L'Oréal claims to (almost) have the answer in pill form: MSNBC reports that L'Oréal has been experimenting with an anti-gray pill for a decade, and that it's scheduled to become available by 2015. But here's the thing (among many): It won't work if you already have gray hair, and you have to take it at least 10 years before your hair turns gray—as if that's a time you can accurately predict—and then after that, you have to take it for life.
But here's a thought: What's going to happen, then, to all those unsold boxes of hair dye once they've successfully ridden the world of gray?
Dr. Maria Colavincenzo, an assistant professor of dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, points out that some people never go gray, so taking an unnecessary pill for such a long time for something that might not even happen sounds a little nutso. And then there's the issue of what it might to do your body. She asks, "How is it going to affect the skin and the organs?"
MSNBC explains how it's supposed to work:
The pill, scheduled to become available in 2015, contains an undisclosed fruit extract that mimics the chemical tyrosinase-related protein or TRP-2, an enzyme that protects pigmentation production, the company has said. The goal of the fruit extract pill is to prevent oxidative stress, a process that occurs when hair cells succumb to antioxidants and turn gray, L'Oreal officials say.
Sounds scientific. Oh, and FYI: "Grandmas with colored hair" is not a safe Google search (don't do it). We found this out while trying to find an image for this post, and instead decided upon that angora rabbit.
· Pill to stop gray hair could pose risks, doctors caution [MSNBC]