Marie Antoinette syndrome refers to a situation where someone’s hair suddenly turns white (canities). The name of this condition comes from folklore about the French queen Marie Antoinette, whose hair supposedly turned white suddenly before her execution in 1793.
Graying of the hair is natural with age. As you grow older, you may start to lose the melanin pigments that are responsible for your hair color. But this condition is not age-related. It’s related to a form of alopecia areata — a type of sudden hair loss. (It’s also important to note that, regardless of whether the stories are true, Marie Antoinette was only 38 years old at the time of her death).
While it’s possible for your hair to turn white in a relatively short amount of time, this isn’t likely to happen within minutes, as is suggested by supposed historical accounts. Learn more about the research and causes behind Marie Antoinette syndrome, and whether you need to see your doctor.
Research doesn’t support the theory of sudden hair whiteness. Still, tales of such incidents from history continue to run rampant. Besides the infamous Marie Antoinette,
other famous figures in history have also reportedly experienced sudden changes in their hair color. One notable example is Thomas More, who was said to have experienced a sudden whitening of his hair before his execution in 1535.
