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The first time you look in the mirror and spot that small, yet incredibly visible grey hair feels terrible. In our constant quest to be eternally youthful, grey hair is associated with ageing and not being ‘beautiful’.

Public figures in high power or stressful jobs seem to go grey quicker, so you’d be forgiven for thinking they might be linked. However, before you rush to quit your job and find a deserted island to live on, the answer might not be as obvious as it seems.

In fact, there is little to no evidence that stressful situations can increase the rate of hair greyness. Most of us will start to develop the odd grey hair much earlier; on average at 30 to 35, depending on race and gender. This is due to a change in the stem cells around the hair follicle which stimulate new hair growth. As cells age, they become less able to produce the pigment melanin, also found in your skin. Reduction in melanin leaves the hair less able to produce a dark colour, being more reflective to light, giving it a grey look.

In the prestigious Nature journal, a research paper in 2013 showed the effect of damage on the scalp and increased grey hairs suggesting that the stem cell will repair damage before compensating for pigment. By stressing the follicles with harsh chemicals such as dyes, we might actually be accelerating the greying process.

However, there is a well defined link between the onset of grey hair and one type of stress, with more long-lasting effects. Oxidative stress is the build-up of dangerous molecules in our cells that lead to chronic inflammation. This reduces the cell’s capacity to divide without mutation, leading to reproduction errors. Smoking, poor diet and lack of exercise are all risk factors, along with other medical conditions. So to prevent those greys, a healthy lifestyle is more important.