Stress, Gray and Tough Times

Have you ever noticed that a person ages while going through a stressful time? Take the eighteen-year-old who finds their first gray hair after the most stressful and painful year of their life. Or, the woman who grays in a year while battling through a messy divorce. Or, the President of the United States who is reported to age two years for every one year in office.

Just 44 days into the job, President Obama is already showing an astounding amount of gray. He is not alone though. Bill Clinton still had half of his natural brown hair when he took office, and was completely silver two years later. George W. Bush went from salt and pepper to all salt in a flash.

For the President who prides himself on his youthful appearance and stress free demeanor, he is certainly showing the stress of the times - an election, a floundering economy and war raging. It is a stressful season marked by the ever increasing light hairs reflecting from his hair.