科学有时无法解释一些特例。近年西方有个头发变白的记录。

2009年，the medical journal Archives of Dermatology 记录了一个病例。

一些瑞士医生报告，有位54岁的妇女，为了头上一块区域脱发（alopecia areata，中国人称鬼剃头）来看病。经外用激素药膏治疗后，脱发停止。但几个星期后，她满头都成了白发。

In it, Swiss doctors report the case of a 54-year-old woman who came to their offices recently with a single circular patch of alopecia areata on her scalp. She was successfully treated with topical steroids — in other words, her hair stopped falling out. Yet within a few weeks, her entire scalp hair had suddenly turned white.