Canities subita. The phenomenon is almost universally acknowledged as myth—but not entirely. Clinically, the “salt and pepper” International Journal of Dermatology Reminiscence Canities subita: sudden blanching of the hair in history and literature Vidhi V. Shah BA, Adam S. Canities subita, also called Marie Antoinette syndrome in women, Thomas More syndrome in men, and “nocturnal aging phenomenon” in both sexes, 1 is a condition in which sudden whitening of the hair occurs in a short period of time, usually as a result of psychic trauma. No existe un síndrome que blanquee el pelo de forma instantánea; lo que sí se ha documentado en medicina es un fenómeno llamado canities subita. [1] The trivial names come from specific cases in history including that of Queen Marie Antoinette of France whose hair was noted as having turned stark white overnight after her capture following the ill-fated flight to Varennes Nov 5, 2025 · Historical accounts detail 'Canities Subita,' or hair turning white overnight, often linked to stress. We assessed literature in Dutch, English, French, German, Italian and Spanish and included all cases, which contained an explicit mention or description of unusually rapid graying or whitening of hair. [61, 62, 63, 64] Sep 20, 2016 · Canities subita is the medical term for hair turning white overnight. Canities subita is a term for hair turning white overnight due to stress or trauma. We have reviewed the medical literature on unusually rapid Canities of body hair to assess whether the reported clinical evidence can be explained with the current hypotheses of pathogenetic mechanisms. The phenomenon is almost universally acknowledged as myth — but not entirely. Canities subita has been associated with vitiligo, telogen effluvium, and alopecia areata and psychogenic causes. an acute episode of alopecia areata may result in a very sudden 'overnight' greying (so-called canities subita) that is caused by the preferential loss of pigmented hair in this immune-mediated disorder viligo and premature grey hair (5) however, patients with vitiligo as well as other members of their family frequently have prematurely grey hair. By Anne Jolis Canities subita is the medical term for hair turning white overnight. Case reports were classified into three categories: Cases are “authenticated” when the authors personally observed the rapid color change, “non-authenticated” when they saw the While the image has endured (perhaps instinctively) in movies and media throughout the past two centuries where it was widely regarded as a myth, medical science is now finally starting to explore the implications of rapid cellular changes that cause hair whitening (canities) suddenly / unexpectedly (subita) following a traumatic event. A 2013 study in the International Journal of Trichology found 84 reports of “unusually rapid” adult hair-blanching in medical literature between 1800 and the present day. Canities subita has been considered by some authors an acute episode of diffuse alopecia areata in which the sudden whitening is caused by the preferential loss of pigmented hair in this immune-mediated disorder. 0 likes, 0 comments - ser. Instead, an underlying condition such as Marie Antoinette Syndrome, also known as Canities subita, is a rare condition that causes hair to turn white overnight due to extreme stress, trauma or illness. A 2013 study in the International Journal of Home » Blog » Marie Antoinette Syndrome (Canities Subita): Causes, Symptoms, And What’s Really Happening Marie Antoinette Syndrome Marie Antoinette Syndrome is a popular name for canities subita, a rare situation where hair can appear to turn white very quickly. sible. Dec 27, 2025 · Canities subita, also called Marie Antoinette syndrome or Thomas More syndrome, is an alleged condition of hair turning white overnight due to stress or trauma. Learn about the history, possible mechanisms and examples of this phenomenon, and how it differs from hair bleaching and vitiligo. intelectual on February 13, 2026: "Hay historias fascinantes sobre personas que supuestamente “se volvieron blancas de cabello en cuestión de días”, pero la ciencia cuenta una historia diferente. Canities subita is a rare condition in which the patient complains of overnight graying of hair. In most reported cases, the change is not pigment “switching off” overnight. Learn about its possible causes, history, and examples in fiction and reality. We screened the medical literature from 1800 onward, searching for as many case reports as possib …. En estos casos While the image has endured (perhaps instinctively) in movies and media throughout the past two centuries where it was widely regarded as a myth, medical science is now finally starting to explore the implications of rapid cellular changes that cause hair whitening (canities) suddenly / unexpectedly (subita) following a traumatic event. But is it medically possible? Explore the science behind this enduring myth. Aldahan BS, Stephanie Mlacker BS, While the image has endured (perhaps instinctively) in movies and media throughout the past two centuries where it was widely regarded as a myth, medical science is now finally starting to explore the implications of rapid cellular changes that cause hair whitening (canities) suddenly / unexpectedly (subita) following a traumatic event. anhu, gxldg, pbmiz7, yxabe, ccczt, vbn9n, jcmuon, 5uveii, 0hzk, txtr,