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Keanu Reeves’ rumoured girlfriend reveals why she doesn't dye her grey hair

Francesca SpecterYahoo Style UK deputy editor
Updated
Alexandra Grant pictured with Keanu Reeves on the red carpet. [Photo: Getty]
Alexandra Grant pictured with Keanu Reeves on the red carpet. [Photo: Getty]

Keanu Reeves’ rumoured girlfriend, Alexandra Grant, has revealed why she doesn’t dye her naturally grey hair.

The 46-year-old artist shared a NewsWeek article on her personal Instagram account yesterday.

It cites a study that links permanent hair dye usage to an increased risk of breast cancer in women.

In the caption, Grant explains that she went prematurely grey in her early 20s and proceeded to dye her hair “every color along the way” [sic] before eschewing the dye in her 30s after realising she “couldn't tolerate the toxicity of the dyes”.

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READ MORE: The women embracing their naturally silver locks

She adds: “If womxn are perishing from beauty standards... then let's talk about those beauty standards.”

Womxn is an alternative term for women which explicitly includes transgender women and those who identify as non-binary, according to the BBC.

Alexandra Grant and Keanu Reeves attend the 2019 LACMA 2019 Art + Film Gala Presented By Gucci at LACMA on 2 November. [Photo: Getty]
Alexandra Grant and Keanu Reeves attend the 2019 LACMA 2019 Art + Film Gala Presented By Gucci at LACMA on 2 November. [Photo: Getty]

A number of Grant’s followers have praised the post.

One wrote: “You have beautiful hair, Alexandra. I covered the grey roots of my dark brown hair for years, but finally stopped. Now snow white and very nice.”

Another added: “Embracing my natural, silver hair has been so empowering. I hope these terrifying statistics encourage others to consider rocking what they’ve got.

Alexandra Grant and actor Keanu Reeves attend the 'X Artists' books launch in Paris in November 2017. [Photo: Getty]
Alexandra Grant and actor Keanu Reeves attend the 'X Artists' books launch in Paris in November 2017. [Photo: Getty]

“Plus, you make it look so good!”

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Reeves attended the LACMA Art + Film Gala with Grant as his plus one in early November – causing widespread media to report they are dating. The pair had already been photographed together around Los Angeles, US.

When reports of their rumoured romance broke, Reeves was deemed a “hero” on social media for dating a woman who is “age appropriate” – despite the fact she is almost a decade younger.

The comments mainly centred around Grant’s undyed grey hair.

Reeves, 55, who is notoriously private about his personal life, had no publicly confirmed the romance.

Hair dye and breast cancer risk

Grant is referring to a US study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, which suggests breast cancer risk could increase with more frequent use of chemical hair products – including hair dyes and hair straighteners.

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To study the health risks associated with hair products, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, analysed data from 46,709 women aged between 35 and 74.

READ MORE: Selma Blair talks embracing her ‘salt and pepper hair’ following chemotherapy

Researchers analysed answers to questions regarding the women's health, lifestyle and demographics and found women who regularly used permanent hair dye in the year prior to enrolling in the study were 9% more likely to develop breast cancer than women who didn’t use hair dye.

READ MORE: TV journalist diagnosed with breast cancer after live TV mammogram

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African American women polled, who used permanent dyes every five to eight weeks were associated with a 60% increased risk of breast cancer, while white women faced an 8% increase.

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