Gray Today Gone Tomorrow?

According to medical statistics, 50 percent of us are at least 50 percent gray by the age of 50. Some of us go to great lengths to get rid of the gray strands but that may not be necessary in the future thanks to a new discovery.

A team of European Scientists in England say they may have figured out why hair turns gray, and their finding may open the door to new anti-graying strategies.

Going gray is caused by a massive build up of hydrogen peroxide due to wear and tear of our hair follicles. The peroxide winds up blocking the normal synthesis of melanin, our hair's natural pigment.

The process starts when there is a dip in levels of an enzyme called catalase. That catalase shortfall means that the hydrogen peroxide that naturally occurs in hair can't be broken down. So hydrogen peroxide builds up in the hair, and because other enzymes that would repair hydrogen peroxide's damage are also in short supply, the hair goes gray.

Researchers say if they can stop the chemical chain reaction, our natural hair color might not ever change.

But come on. Let's get real. How many baby boomers do you know who still have your "natural" hair color?