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What Are the Common Causes of Gray Pubic Hair?

By K. K. Lowen
Updated: May 21, 2024
Views: 259,458
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There are a number of causes for gray pubic hair. Natural aging processes can turn hair gray on the head, face, arms, and other areas of the body, and pubic hair is not immune to the change. Heredity may make a person predisposed to premature graying, including hair in the pubic region. A diet lacking protein or B vitamins can cause the development of gray hair as well. Other causes may include smoking cigarettes and extreme anxiety.

Natural aging is one of the most common causes of gray pubic hair. As people age, the hair follicles begin to produce less of a pigment called melanin. Melanocytes, cells in melanin, determine the color of a person’s hair and skin. The decreased melanin may affect other types of hair on the body before changing pubic hair color, but eventually, melanin production will cease and cause gray pubic hair. Pollution, extreme stress, and the use of certain chemicals can stop the production of melanin as well.

Hereditary may also play a role in causing gray pubic hair. When people have family members whose hair grayed early, the possibility of getting early gray pubic hair increases. When combined with other factors, genetics may quicken the process for people who are genetically inclined for gray hair.

Poor diet is sometimes associated with premature gray hair as well. Eating too little protein or becoming vitamin B12 deficient are two of the biggest dietary issues associated with graying hair. Some people delay the progression of gray hair by eating a nutritional, well-balanced diet.

Stress has been rumored to cause gray hair for a number of years, but experts have found insufficient data to support the claim. Unless a person’s stress and anxiety levels are extremely high, the chance of developing stress-related gray pubic hair is remote. Serious anxiety may deplete the body’s supply of B vitamins, which can cause hair to gray. The average person will not suffer from stress-related graying hair.

Research has found that there is a link between smoking cigarettes and the premature development of gray hair. Nicotine has been known to increase the natural aging processes. For example, smoking tobacco can cause facial wrinkles because the body absorbs the chemicals found in cigarettes into the bloodstream, sending them to the skin and other organs of the body. Hair follicles may be affected by the chemicals as well, which can cause gray pubic hairs to develop.

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Discussion Comments
By anon992042 — On Aug 08, 2015

Some identified causes for early graying of pubic hair are: vitamin B deficiency (more pronounced in Africa), hereditary/genetic factors and extreme stress. However, finding pubes turn gray shouldn't be too worrisome or weird, because it is a natural process. Some people find they go gray down there earlier and some are 'lucky' to retain their natural color for years.

Women seem to be more perturbed about their pubic hair turning gray, than men are! This could possibly be because they fear their husbands/partners may find this to be unacceptable. However, please remember that pubic hair of men too turns gray, sometime or the other - this is a fact of life.

So let us not worry much about gray pubic hair - it is mostly a natural process. Aren't there are more serious problems to worry about in life?

By anon955782 — On Jun 09, 2014

@CaithnessCC - Thank you for your post. It just made my day. I do think you're fabulously sexy.

I started greying in high school and sometimes I get self-conscious but I'm starting to make peace with my premature hair-greying.

By anon948447 — On Apr 30, 2014

I'm 16 and I have grey hair everywhere! On my head hair, down there, in my armpits and I even found one on my chest and I'm a girl!

By anon942922 — On Mar 30, 2014

I am a female of middle age, but not attached. I find grey pubic hair so disgusting and guys hate it. Nothing we can do and if we are lucky enough for anyone to actually want to have sex with us once we get grey pubes, well, have the decency to shave, I say.

Dyeing it probably not great as the hair there is so breakable and so dry it is like dust, well mine is. So you may end up with burned private parts!

By anon344300 — On Aug 07, 2013

I found grays in my nether region but not one strand of gray on my head. Is there something medically wrong?

By anon302213 — On Nov 08, 2012

I am 37 years old and I have a few grays on my head, but not so many that it's often noticeable. But I am very conscious of it so I've started using semi-permanent dye. I don't mind my head graying, but recently I noticed a gray hair down there! I was quite distressed especially because I am single. Even worse, another has appeared.

I've decided not to stress about it. I haven't dyed it; I just keep it very low trimmed. Maybe I will start dyeing it later, but for now, I just don't.

By poppyseed — On Jul 29, 2011

I have a friend who dyed her public hair because she was planning this great romantic weekend with a new guy. She just couldn’t bear for him to know that she was graying, well, everywhere.

So the goober goes and buys some of the same dye that you would put on your head. Let me repeat – she bought the same stuff to go down there that she’s going to put up there.

Now, that is just not too smart. Up there is exposed to air, heat, sun, shampoo and all kinds of harsh stimulants day in and day out. But, all that is down there is protected and pampered; or at least, it should be.

Heck, I can’t even use fragrant body wash down there without getting irritated.

Suffice it to say that she was a little more embarrassed explaining to her doctor what had happened to make down there so burnt and red than she would have been to have shown a little gray on her romantic weekend.

Oh, and that weekend had to be postponed for a while, too.

By tlcJPC — On Jul 28, 2011

@aLFredo – You know, I’ve never dyed mine but I know people who have! We ladies talk about everything, and pubic hair is not exempt in the least.

I have a friend who is a red head, which she takes extreme pride in apparently. Never mind that her look comes from a bottle – not even her husband knows that she isn’t a natural red head.

I know, I know. You just have to ask yourself how in the world he doesn’t know because she can’t possibly match up there and down there, right. Wrong.

She goes to great pains to make sure she has an exact match going on up above and down below at least once per month. No roots for that lady, and that goes for both the top and bottom, too!

So what color is her hair in all reality, you ask. It is as white as snow. It started turning when she was in college. Before that, she was actually a sandy blonde.

By runner101 — On Jul 28, 2011

@sinbad - I have seen products claiming they can stop gray hair, but that just doesn't seem natural!

I would focus on loving your gray hair! But in the event you are severely premature in your graying, I can understand it might not be that much fun to prance around with gray hair.

I would look into some methods that try to prevent more gray hair. I can't say that they work, but if you are really unhappy they might be worth a try!

What actually helped me to appreciate my gray hair, was when I found that younger adults were actually trying to find gray hair coloring because they thought it was cool.

That didn't help necessarily because I wanted to be cool, but it did help to remind me that beauty comes in many different packages.

By Sinbad — On Jul 28, 2011

@alFredo - First thank you @CaithnessCC for giving us hope that our husbands or other partner's may just find our gray hair down there sexy!

Now onto the dyeing of pubic hair - there is actual hair dye specifically for pubic hair - yep, I said it - they actually have a way to do a little gray hair reversal down there.

I cannot say I have tried it, but I would have to think about it if my hair down there starts to match my gray patches on my head!

Has anyone heard or tried ways to stop gray hair?

By aLFredo — On Jul 27, 2011

I am 28 and already have found grays hairs finding their way through the hair on my head and especially at the front of my face (I blame it for the 2 stressful years in graduate school)!

I thought I was not ready to have to dye my hair every couple of months, but finding this article has given me new things to worry about (which is funny since that will probably just cause the gray hair to happen).

So now I wondering - I just have to ask - has anyone dyed their pubic hair?!

By Penzance356 — On Jul 27, 2011

My grandson once asked me 'why do we get gray hair?' He was quite young so I simply told him that it happened when we get older.

He spent the weekend of his next birthday with us, and woke me up crying his heart out. The reason? His hair was still as red as it had been when he went to sleep!

By CaithnessCC — On Jul 27, 2011

@Valencia - Having been 'silver' since my teens I have plenty of gray hair tips. I'm not sure that you are really in need of those right now, but the one thing I can say is that you need to get comfortable with it.

Do see a doctor to check that you don't have any underlying health issues. With the all clear you can start working on your mindset.

If you really can't live with it then you could see a beautician who may be able to advise on how to color gray pubic hair.

But I hope I can give you some romantic hope by telling you that my husband thinks it is fabulously sexy.

By Valencia — On Jul 26, 2011

I understand that aging is probably going to make all your hair go gray eventually. I may not like the idea very much but I accept it as a fact.

The thing that I hate is how random it seems to be. My sister is in her fifties and has a full head of natural dark hair. Whereas I am mid thirties and have to dye mine every couple of months.

Last week I noticed a few strands of gray amongst my pubic hair! I feel quite distressed by this. Am I just being vain? Or perhaps I have some kind of illness, which never entered my head until I read this article.

Being single makes it worse. I can't imagine how I'm ever going to meet someone new and get intimate when I look like a granny down there!

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