why does the beard turn grey before the head?

Answer 1

I am an MD. No one really knows, but it is true that most mammals turn grey around the mouth first, then progressing up the head. (Check out an old dog or cat if you don't believe me). The earliest grey on the head is usually found on the temples, which is short for the Latin "temporal region" meaning the region of "time" i.e. age. As to why we go grey at all, that is a hard question also. It appears that old age is preprogrammed into our cells, and someday we may be able to thwart this programming, giving us all eternal youth. But would society be better off? hard to say.

Answer 2

The grey functions also a a seniority marker in male hierarchies, and as the head hair in homo sapiens is often depleted, the beard, grey, and with large size, remains as marker of dominance.


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