Herbs have been used in the traditional folk medicine of numerous cultures since the dawn of time to treat premature aging processes such as premature graying hair. Admittedly, traditional medicines have not always been effective in treating gray hair and to this day no herbal or medicinal cure for age-related and genetically-determined gray hair conditions exists. Nonetheless, herbal remedies have experienced a tremendous rise in popularity recently and now account for well over 50% of all hair care products sold. Their attractiveness results mainly from the general belief that they are free from negative side effects and can stimulate natural healing processes in the body and thus reverse medical conditions naturally.

By far the most popular herbal remedy for reversing gray hair today is Fo-Ti root. It can be found as a principal active substance in almost any natural gray hair product available. Fo-Ti (polygonum multiflorum), is a climbing plant native to China and now grown also in Japan and Taiwan. In traditional Chinese medicine it has been used as a popular youth tonic because of its assumed ability to counteract the body's aging processes. In China it is well known under the name He shou wu, which stands for "black haired Mr. He". The legend has it that an old villager, Mr. He, who lived in the 9th century A.D. took Fo-Ti and restored his black hair, youthful appearance and vitality and fathered children at the ripe age of 60. He lived to 130, maintaining his black hair. In addition to influencing the aging processes, Fo-Ti is credited with numerous other health-giving properties highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine. Among other things, it is also thought to extend hair growth cycles and thus it can be frequently found in many commercial hair loss products. As is so often the case with herbal cures, Fo-Ti has never been clinically studied as a potential gray hair treatment. There is no scientific or recent empirical evidence that it can help reverse graying hair.

Folic acid and PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid) are two vitamins from the group of B vitamins credited with the ability to reverse graying hair. Their presence in the body is vital to maintaining one's original hair color and it is conceivable that a shortage of any of these two vitamins might lead to hair becoming colorless. Their extra intake can be beneficial in gray hair conditions caused by vitamin B deficiency but will not restore your original hair color in conditions caused by hereditary factors or old age. Nevertheless, these two vitamins are used in almost any commercial gray hair remedy you can buy.

There are many other herbal substances such as ginkgo biloba, eleuthero root (Siberian ginseng), Asian ginseng, green tea, gotu kola, chamomile, rosemary, horsetail, etc. that you can find in natural gray hair products, having mostly auxiliary functions, such as promoting a healthy scalp environment or providing additional nutrients to your hair follicles. Some other herbs, such as sage, can be used to add color to your hair, working as a natural hair colorant while also giving your hair more shine, which gives the impression of there being less gray hair. One traditional method of reversing graying hair, which may sound anecdotal, is rubbing your fingernails against each other to improve circulation (as nerve endings are located under the finger nails), thereby reducing the amount of white hair.

It can be concluded that no scientific proof exists that any exercise or herb, vitamin, mineral or nutrient contained in the natural remedies can reverse premature or age-related graying of hair. If you decide to try any commercial herbal cure for gray hair, keep in mind that besides there being no guarantee of its effectiveness, no daily dosage has been established and side effects might occur, despite the widespread assumption that herbal remedies are safe and free from them.