ooooh boy. So silly and vein. :) thought everyone here could use a laugh.

[gonzobird]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/melaniehaiken/2013/02/28/a-pill-to-prevent-gray-hair-is-it-finally-on-the-way/

[Vrindi]

Now, if only there were a pill to make people not stupid....

[Firefox7275]

I don't see what is especially silly or vain about that, no more so that almost everything on this entire forum and everyone outside of here who uses make up, conditioner, hair dye or dresses for their shape.

[Vrindi]

I hope it didn't come off that I'm saying anyone who would be interested in this pill is stupid. Not what I meant at all. It just seems that there's a pill for everything— except The Dumb.

I would not be interested in this pill. I have high levels of distrust for the beauty industry. I wear makeup and dress well, but the beauty/fashion industry monster gives me the creeps. Also, my hair is going to look awesome when it's all silver!

[dulce]

Well said,Vrindi! I am now silvery streaked and I love my silver!! Much better than my brown when younger.It's just another money making grab by big pharma.Who knows what the long term side effects will be.There have been so many recalls on recent supposedly'' safe ''meds and pills..Give me silver anyday!It all preys on our youth obessed society's fears of aging and looking ''old'' and making money off it.I have no problem with people making an effort to look their best but when you take risks with your health with unknown products,that's not for me.

[Syaoransbear]

It's kind of silly because you have to take it for like 10 years before you start to go grey, but who can accurately determine when that is? And it seems impossible to know if the pill is actually working or if you are just a late greyer.

[Vrindi]

Well said,Vrindi! I am now silvery streaked and I love my silver!! Much better than my brown when younger.It's just another money making grab by big pharma,who knows what the long term side effects will be.There have been so many recalls on recent supposedly'' safe ''meds and pills..Give me silver anyday!It all preys on our youth obessed society's fears of aging and looking ''old'' and making money off it.I have no problem with people making an effort to look their best but when you take risks with your health with unknown products,that's not for me.

Right. We're all going to die. Most of us will get old before that happens. Deal with it. Ignoring it and trying desperately to hold onto youth will not trick your body out of mortality. Throwing money at meds will not make you immortal. Ever. As long as you have a physical body. People want to avoid thinking about death at all costs, because it's scary, and "looking old" reminds people of death. It's entirely possible to age and look amazing. I look a million times better now than I did when I was 20.

[jacqueline101]

I think it's funny a good laugh that's all.

[FireFromWithin]

Well I for one am looking forwards to the distinguished look of long white hair flowing down my back. Though I might have to wait a while since I'm 21 and blonde (my dad's hair colour, who is starting to go white aged 50).

It's a fair enough thing to try but I don't trust that the results will really be measurable for at least the next 20 - 30 years (10 years prior to greyimg, the rest the differences between control groups and those taking the pill) and I guess we can all but forget about double blind trials over such long periods of time when they can sell the thing without proving it anyway...

[ravenreed]

I wasn't overly keen on going grey until I switched to Elumen and realized that my greys would look hot pink with the red-violet dye I use. I didn't think I would mind looking older until I started to look older. Now it has actually started to bug me. If someone wants to spend money on a pill to avoid grey hair, more power to them. I see it as no sillier than spending excessive time/energy/money on growing long hair, or any other odd thing humans get up to. I also support people who want to grey gracefully, btw. I just don't think there is anything wrong with not being thrilled about the prospect.

[browneyedsusan]

I'm with Ravenweed. I henna, not because I hate gray, but because I like the fade-proof, permanent red. My hair was red until my 20's, then gradually grew in ashier and ashier. I've tried and tried, but feel horrible in my natural color, and can't get used to it. If I could leave my grays exposed, I would, but henna doesn't work like that for me.

[vindo]

Not wanting to go grey is one thing.

Taking a costly step that poses a possible health risk...meh.

Something to be very careful about.

[Firefox7275]

I wasn't overly keen on going grey until I switched to Elumen and realized that my greys would look hot pink with the red-violet dye I use. I didn't think I would mind looking older until I started to look older. Now it has actually started to bug me. If someone wants to spend money on a pill to avoid grey hair, more power to them. I see it as no sillier than spending excessive time/energy/money on growing long hair, or any other odd thing humans get up to. I also support people who want to grey gracefully, btw. I just don't think there is anything wrong with not being thrilled about the prospect.

Agree and my whites are pink too! Not everyone dyes because they have a pathological fear of growing old or us youth obsessed, if I could go full head white overnight I'd be fine with that, since it is a far nicer colour than my natural dark mouse. I don't mind my laughter lines either but I don't like my frown lines. I've said for many years that I intend to grow old disgracefully, be the crazy cat lady with hair like Einstein or Vivienne Westwood shaking her stick at pesky children.

http://myzerowaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/vivienne-westwood-0021.jpg

[chen bao jun]

What is silly and vain is that people are going to want to rush to take this and not think about side effects. they think of pills for normal things in life and people get health problems you wouldn't believe from them. Look up fen-phen, for instance. Or Accutane. and wasn't it some 'wonder drug', thalidomide, that had all those babies born with flippers instead of hands and feet? I may have this slightly wrong, but I think you get my point.

[ravenreed]

Is that you? What a stunning photo. I LOVE the red hair! It is very close to my younger son's hair color, which I covet like there is no tomorrow. Alas, that color does not flatter my skin tone. :wail:


Agree and my whites are pink too! Not everyone dyes because they have a pathological fear of growing old or us youth obsessed, if I could go full head white overnight I'd be fine with that, since it is a far nicer colour than my natural dark mouse. I don't mind my laughter lines either but I don't like my frown lines. I've said for many years that I intend to grow old disgracefully, be the crazy cat lady with hair like Einstein or Vivienne Westwood shaking her stick at pesky children.

http://myzerowaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/vivienne-westwood-0021.jpg

[EdG]

Ten years from now, we will be reading the news about the unintended side-effects of anti-greying pills. :rolleyes:

In contrast, eating more spinach and avocados sounds much better. :yumm:
Ed

[qijino1236]

Ten years from now, we will be reading the news about the unintended side-effects of anti-greying pills. :rolleyes:

In contrast, eating more spinach and avocados sounds much better. :yumm:
Ed

Yeah agreed spinach and avocados until there is no side effects.
My fridge is packed full of spinach and avocados so I got my catalase.
Never tried liver before though

"Spinach, avocados, and liver are rich in catalase, so you could always try adding these to your diet for a more natural approach."

[Firefox7275]

What is silly and vain is that people are going to want to rush to take this and not think about side effects. they think of pills for normal things in life and people get health problems you wouldn't believe from them. Look up fen-phen, for instance. Or Accutane. and wasn't it some 'wonder drug', thalidomide, that had all those babies born with flippers instead of hands and feet? I may have this slightly wrong, but I think you get my point.

Like numerous westerners do with the latest commercial weight loss diet, or vitamin/ mineral/ herb supplements with little to no research? I work in lifestyle healthcare, I cringe at what is considered acceptable to do, discuss and recommend on forums such as LHC in the name of 'nutrition' or 'health'. Biotin megadosing? Sanitised Paleo without molluscs, organ means, bone stock, seeds? 'Cleanses' and 'detoxes'? Self diagnosing and self treating scalp complaints with products likely to exacerbate the condition? Recommending outmoded exercises that are considered high risk for lower back health? All considered acceptable practice on forums, let's look at ourselves before we call others silly and vain.

Oh I would believe, my original training was hospital pharmacy! Here in the UK isotretinoin (Accutane/ Roaccutane) can only be prescribed by a hospital consultant and dispensed by a hospital pharmacy only if the patient attends regular checkups, I am gobsmacked how easy access it seems to be in the US given the horrific side effects. It's certainly not considered a 'normal' nor a 'wonder' drug here.



Is that you? What a stunning photo. I LOVE the red hair! It is very close to my younger son's hair color, which I covet like there is no tomorrow. Alas, that color does not flatter my skin tone. :wail:

Ha ha, no that is the British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood ageing disgracefully. I don't think she dyes her hair because she wants to pretend she is still twenty something.

[MaryO]

I am always amused at the lengths people will go to to try and avoid looking a certain "undesirable" way.

Also wish that someone would invent a pill for stupid though- much more pressing than grey hairs! ;)

[Ticky]

I don't think that it's any more silly or vain than other things people do for their appearance. Sure, there are risks, but people should research very well before they take or do something that could harm them. If they know all the side effects (talking about 'vanity' things in general, not just the pill) and know the risk of trying out something that hasn't been tested, and they STILL think it's worth to try it, then go ahead... And if someone doesn't thoroughly study something like that before they put it in their body, well.... That's where that stupidity pill could be useful.

I wouldn't take such pills simply because I don't mind going grey, and I wouldn't potentially put my health at risk for the sake of something so... Irrelevant.

(It's also, of course, not always a matter of ''Ooh I don't want to have silver hair because it means that I'm getting old! Better dye it so I would still look young''. Some people probably think like that, but for some it might be that they prefer their current color with their skin tone, for example. I doubt all those little old ladies with light blue and pinkish hair are clinging onto their youth. As a matter of fact, I can't wait to have more greys so that I would have colorful hair without bleaching the life out of it :D )

[palaeoqueen]

Not wanting to go grey is one thing.

Taking a costly step that poses a possible health risk...meh.

Something to be very careful about.

I agree, who knows what the potential side effects could be down the line.

[tigereye]

Looking at it from the perspective of a pharmacology student, I'd worry about the side effects. For a pill like that you'd have to take in a large quantity of the stuff to be able to get the right amount to your scalp, and in the process, its going to pass through all these tissues that don't require it. Catalase is an extremely potent enzyme. There might not yet be side effects indicated, but putting such large quantities into your body (something that your kidneys also find difficult to remove quickly) is likely to have effects we don't yet know about. It would be much safer, and probably more effective, to make a rub-in scalp treatment, but then the appeal of a pill being that its so easy and quick would be lost. Not everyone wants to cover their scalp in strange masques and such like many of us (me included) do. Most people just want to wash and go.
In my opinion, what is stupid and vain would be to consider using a pill like this when we don't yet know of the extent of side-effects. Everything has side effects in excess. Fair enough is if was for a medical reason, but popping pills for something so vain as hair-colour. I don't see the point in putting my health in danger.

Personally, I can't wait for the day my hair starts to grey. I love the salt-and-pepper look.

[MonaMayfair]

What the hell is wrong with being vain anyway?

[browneyedsusan]

Agree and my whites are pink too! Not everyone dyes because they have a pathological fear of growing old or us youth obsessed, if I could go full head white overnight I'd be fine with that, since it is a far nicer colour than my natural dark mouse. I don't mind my laughter lines either but I don't like my frown lines. I've said for many years that I intend to grow old disgracefully, be the crazy cat lady with hair like Einstein or Vivienne Westwood shaking her stick at pesky children.

http://myzerowaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/vivienne-westwood-0021.jpg

You are beautiful! Love that hair!

[cathair]

I'd like to say I wouldn't be interested, but that would be a lie. If it were true, then I wouldn't be subscribed to the He Shou Wu / Fo Ti thread. I don't want to be bothered, I am not dying right now, but I am 28 with white streaks and I feel ridiculous. Will I look 60 when I am 30, i don't know. If it only works as prevention it will be too late for me.

I already eat spinach every day and my hair looks whiter every day. Can't say I eat any avocados though.

[gonzobird]

I'm vain in a bunch of ways but taking a pill I'm sure my body has no idea what to do with is above and beyond. Its not the same as growing your hair. That is also silly to say.
I just thought taking a pill for ten years and ruining your body/ wasting so much money so you maybe don't get grey hair... just dye it!
Nobody is going to live forever and it just seems like a sad way to spend your time. Thats all. I hope there isn't a bunch of overly sensitive people that took that the wrong way. That's also silly.
Stupid pills? Remember when television was called the idiot box? :)

[MonaMayfair]

Personally, when I'm 70, if I were going to resemble any fashion designer I'd much rather it were Betsey Johnson than Vivienne Westwood. Though I'd much rather look like Cher :)

[ravenreed]

I bet if there were pills let people grow a foot of hair a month, there would be people on this forums lining up to take them, risks or no. :couch:

[leslissocool]

I wasn't overly keen on going grey until I switched to Elumen and realized that my greys would look hot pink with the red-violet dye I use. I didn't think I would mind looking older until I started to look older. Now it has actually started to bug me. If someone wants to spend money on a pill to avoid grey hair, more power to them. I see it as no sillier than spending excessive time/energy/money on growing long hair, or any other odd thing humans get up to. I also support people who want to grey gracefully, btw. I just don't think there is anything wrong with not being thrilled about the prospect.

ABSOLUTELY!


Guess what? I'm 25, and I use anti-wrinkle and moisturize like crazy. I use natural products, but I *care*. And that's fine. I don't see how worrying about your hair and caring for it is less vain (not vein, that's something different) than taking pills. I take vitamins, I lift weights and work out to look the way I look. I'm vain, that's why I care so much about my hair. I'm not stupid :), and I think it's very hypocritical that people who care about their appearance and wear make up/care for their hair judge others for their choices.


Add me to the "I can't wait to have silver hair!" club, I plan to dye it electric blue. I'm not here to decorate your world!


I bet if there were pills let people grow a foot of hair a month, there would be people on this forums lining up to take them, risks or no. :couch:

Absolutely, so many threads about monistat and sulphur and DE. About rinses and washes and protective updo's and reducing damage. How is protecting and reducing damage to hair so different than to moisturize and care about your skin?

[MonaMayfair]

I bet if there were pills let people grow a foot of hair a month, there would be people on this forums lining up to take them, risks or no. :couch:

Hahahaha! You're so right! (not me, I just had about 9" cut off and prefer my hair now, as I can wear it loose every day, but a pill that claimed to do something I really wanted, I'd certainly try!)

[EdG]

I bet if there were pills let people grow a foot of hair a month, there would be people on this forums lining up to take them, risks or no. :couch:I bet we would. :o

That pill might have the side-effect that the subject ages two years for every month. :lol:
Ed

[tigereye]

I bet if there were pills let people grow a foot of hair a month, there would be people on this forums lining up to take them, risks or no. :couch:

I dont think I would. I'd be worried about huge periodic sheds and stuff like that, amongst other more serious side effects.
Mind, you thats probably my pharmacology brain talking again - I'm used to looking for any possible flaws so that drugs can be made safer. :shrug:

[akilina]

Eh. Live and let live (or die lol) I personally wouldn't use it because I adore silver hair. Just my luck I probably won't go grey for a good 40 years. I'm pretty much bound to have that soft white hair too :o
If I had an issue I'd probably just dye it.
If worry about health risks too but hay....not my life. Some of us do worse on a daily basis I'm sure.

It makes me think of the drug they are testing on )willing) pregnant women to prevent obesity in the future kid.

The one thing I can't handle is how sheeple think "oh ill just take this pill and this pill and all my problems will go away!!!1one!!1!" This place is getting to be more and more of an idiocracy.

Stupid pills for problems that could be easily avoided. I'd still never try to impose on these people though. It's a waste of time.

[dulce]

No,I'd still just grow my hair naturally[and I did, from pixie to almost butt crack now] pills,extensions,what is wrong with growing your own hair naturally in a healthy safe way with no worry about future nasty side effects.Can't understand today's society.

[teela1978]

If a pill was available that actually worked to reduce grays... I'd definitely consider it. Though I don't completely mind my gray hairs, it kinda sucks to be ~30% gray in your thirties. It's easy to say "I can't wait for silvers" when you don't have any :) Not really sure why so many members are thinking that this is such a silly/ridiculous thing.

[HintOfMint]

I bet if there were pills let people grow a foot of hair a month, there would be people on this forums lining up to take them, risks or no. :couch:

This is, sadly, pretty accurate. For a while, there was a pretty big vitamin craze on these boards and, while I understand not thinking that something over the counter could be dangerous, it wasn't much of a consideration to think about what vitamin levels would be safe. This phenomenon and a pill to prevent grey hair are not wholly distinct in my mind.

[ravenreed]

Mine neither. Anything you do purely to influence your appearance is by nature vain. That doesn't make it wrong. Hair is a part of our self-image, whether that means we want grey or no greys, natural or dyed, long, short, or anything in between...

My biggest hair worry right now is thinning. I am still within range of normal, but if it got much thinner, I might consider taking some dodgy supplement or pill to help. *shrug*


This is, sadly, pretty accurate. For a while, there was a pretty big vitamin craze on these boards and, while I understand not thinking that something over the counter could be dangerous, it wasn't much of a consideration to think about what vitamin levels would be safe. This phenomenon and a pill to prevent grey hair are not wholly distinct in my mind.

[McFearless]

Don't we have a thread about reversing gray hair with he shou wu/fo-ti supplements? :rollin:

[ravenreed]

But that's natural so it can't be bad for you, right? (If I only had a dollar for every time someone said that to me in real life!)


Don't we have a thread about reversing gray hair with he shou wu/fo-ti supplements? :rollin:

[McFearless]

But that's natural so it can't be bad for you, right? (If I only had a dollar for every time someone said that to me in real life!)
If I only had a dollar for every time I said that to myself as I swallowed 1000 herbal supplements.

[ravenreed]

I have quoted my doctor elsewhere on the board, but I will say it again because it bears repeating. "If a supplement is potent enough to have an effect, it is potent enough to have a side effect."


If I only had a dollar for every time I said that to myself as I swallowed 1000 herbal supplements.

[dulce]

Ditto,RAVENREED.

[Mesmerise]

It's no sillier than chemically dyeing your hair well into your 70s or 80s and exposing yourself to all those toxic chemicals every few weeks, if you think about it!

Honestly I tried using some Go Away Gray pills for awhile, but never stuck with it... and then I just thought what the heck and decided to be a rebel and show my silvers instead!

The point is, people will continue to dye their hair, or they'll take a pill... I don't see that one is any more/less vain or stupid than the other!

As for supplements having side effects, so does hair dye! Unless you're using natural colours like henna or indigo, you're putting toxic chemicals on your scalp which also have side effects (cancer? fatal allergic reactions??).

[ravenreed]

People can have allergic reactions to natural products too. I broke out in hives from soap nuts. Everywhere the foam touched me swelled up. I haven't ever had that bad a reaction from a more conventional hair product, not even PPD dyes.


It's no sillier than chemically dyeing your hair well into your 70s or 80s and exposing yourself to all those toxic chemicals every few weeks, if you think about it!

Honestly I tried using some Go Away Gray pills for awhile, but never stuck with it... and then I just thought what the heck and decided to be a rebel and show my silvers instead!

The point is, people will continue to dye their hair, or they'll take a pill... I don't see that one is any more/less vain or stupid than the other!

As for supplements having side effects, so does hair dye! Unless you're using natural colours like henna or indigo, you're putting toxic chemicals on your scalp which also have side effects (cancer? fatal allergic reactions??).

[lapushka]

The point is, people will continue to dye their hair, or they'll take a pill... I don't see that one is any more/less vain or stupid than the other!

This! ^^

Oh, and personally, I don't see dying your hair as vain. Just a necessity for those of us who don't want to show any grays.

[teela1978]

This! ^^

Oh, and personally, I don't see dying your hair as vain. Just a necessity for those of us who don't want to show any grays.

Of course it's vain. Just being on this site is vain. I don't see why vanity is a problem :)

ETA: my evil side is still giggling at the spelling of "vein" for this thread title :)

[Henna_Goddess]

No more vain than those who color their hair with henna or commercial dyes to hide their grey.

[Mesmerise]

Of course it's vain. Just being on this site is vain. I don't see why vanity is a problem :)

ETA: my evil side is still giggling at the spelling of "vein" for this thread title :)

Oh yeah, agreed. I don't see any problem with dyeing your hair or using anti-wrinkle creams, or doing whatever... it's all personal choice! I don't see anything wrong with growing old, but damn I want to look good when I get there! (And no, I won't be dyeing but I'll be doing everything else necessary to look good :D).

[Vrindi]

I also don't mean that people who don't want to go gray are pathologically afraid of death. I think, in general, and definitely on this forum, people dye their hair because they like how it looks. I've dyed my hair before, so I get it. Personally, I don't intend to cover my grays, I'd like to let them show, or at most tint them a bit with cassia until more grow in. I just don't like dyes. And the smell of the chemicals makes me sick for days. Personal choice, nothing more. I saw a much older woman with purple hair not too long ago. I thought she looked awesome. The thought, "death denial" did not come to my mind when I saw her.

What I do believe is that as a society, at least in the States, the collective media would have you believe that looking old is a terrible thing, and you should do everything you can and pay any money you have to avoid it. People generally avoid anything that will make them think of their own mortality, and get very squeamish if the topic of death comes up. We will watch murders on the news all day and see it in movies, but no one wants to think of their own. That, and I've seen friends and family FREAK OUT over a few gray hairs, or a nearly invisible wrinkle, because they're terrified it will make them look old, because if they look old, they will be unwanted, ignored, unloved, unsuccessful, and discarded. They immediately go from "I found a gray hair," to "My life is over and I have to hide it before anyone else sees." It's very sad. Is this the case all the time? No. But it is enough to be a thing. And I think this pill is one of many symptoms of that mindset.

As far as anti-wrinkle creams and stuff, I think that's part of taking care of yourself. When you take good care of yourself, you will look and feel better and younger for longer. I moisturize, use creams, and stay out of the sun. I don't particularly want wrinkles, so I try to avoid them, but I'm not going to pay $100 for some chemical crap-storm in a bottle that uses a 16-year-old model to sell their product, and believe that it's going to work just because they showed some slick graphic of a chemist's lab with a smiling scientist. I've taken those photos before, that's not a scientist. That's a 20-something actor in a lab coat. I've been that actor too.

So, I don't think it's stupid to want to take a pill to avoid gray hair, or that dying grays is stupid or a sign of a pathological need to be young— by itself. I think many of the reasons people are going to buy a pill that may have horrible side effects that we don't know about is because of that need, which is encouraged and fed by the beauty industry over and over, just to make a profit. I think the pill being pushed into the market without fully understanding what it will do is a clear marker of that, and people should be cautious. That's all.

[millyaulait]

(Skipping the debate part.....)

I can't wait to have silver hair! :o

[ravenreed]

There is also a financial consideration. Unfortunately, it is harder to find and keep a job as you start getting older, especially for women. There shouldn't be age discrimination in the work force, but it is very much an issue. So if someone feels they need to keep their hair from growing grey, I understand.