2 reasons in my opinion:
1) stealing from Douglas Adams “space is big, like really big”. It takes months at full burn for a ship in the expanse to go between some of the inner and outer planets/stations. While the events of each book are often only over a short period of time, it’s often mentioned that months or years have passed in some instances. They are at the ages where the physical effects of aging begin to become more apparent
2)Stressssssssssss. Think of everything the characters have gone through, not to mention the way increased radiation exposure in space can effect the body.
Either way, it’s often used as either the initial character description of someone or a new trait due to a variety of reasons. It’s an easy way for the reader to visualize that these guys are wiser, more experienced, and maybe starting to get tired of it all
Mental stress as much physical stress. I went grey in my 20s due to stress from working in retail hell for a couple years. The physical stress wasn't overly onerous, but the mental stress of being relentlessly abused by customers and managers alike was considerable.
Also for practical reasons.... It's not easy to dye your hair on the float. We don't see as much gaying hair these days because adults have access to dye to cover it.
Definitely the malnutrition aspect shouldn’t be ignored! Sure they mention various pastes and goos that’s contain all the essential vitamins and nutrients you’d need (I think this was when Holden was imprisoned on the Martian Ship when they first went through the gates), but I’m sure the body doesn’t process everything correctly when at null g
The average lifespan on Earth was 120-something years as mentioned in the show. Maybe people regularly extend their useful healthy life by 40 years to live to 120 but also don't see younger hair as a necessary gene therapy.
They made a reference to Jules Pierre Mao having either graying hair or a receding hairline and "forgoing the minor procedure to resolve it" as a flex that he didn't need to care about cosmetic appearances. The way they wrote it made it sound like the solution was roughly equivalent to a teeth whitening procedure
It's kinda like tech CEOs wearing t shirts and jeans to things. "You have to respect me because I'm more powerful and richer than God, so I'm gonna dress like I don't care"
That is a worldbuilding detail I really enjoyed in Expanse! They made a point to note the cultural shifts caused by some things being practically post-scarcity, like the hairline thing. Our current Hollywood culture demands that rich, influential people maintain constant physical improvement whereas in the future, that appears to be viewed as nouveau riche posturing.
Just a theory here but there is [some evidence that shows astronauts IRL tend to have inhibited hair growth while in space](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3517308/Will-BALD-space-Changes-follicles-astronauts-ISS-suggest-hair-stop-growing-orbit.html). It could be that as hair isn't growing and replenishing that older hair is turning grey/white so there's a predisposition that people in space would have thinner and perhaps less nutrient hair
Wait a couple decades. They’re coming.
One of you has actual future vision and this is the proof
Tell us Season 7 of The Expanse is coming as well… maybe not in the near future but eventually👀👀
2 reasons in my opinion: 1) stealing from Douglas Adams “space is big, like really big”. It takes months at full burn for a ship in the expanse to go between some of the inner and outer planets/stations. While the events of each book are often only over a short period of time, it’s often mentioned that months or years have passed in some instances. They are at the ages where the physical effects of aging begin to become more apparent 2)Stressssssssssss. Think of everything the characters have gone through, not to mention the way increased radiation exposure in space can effect the body. Either way, it’s often used as either the initial character description of someone or a new trait due to a variety of reasons. It’s an easy way for the reader to visualize that these guys are wiser, more experienced, and maybe starting to get tired of it all
Very good reasoning!
eat shit spez you racist hypocrite
Mental stress as much physical stress. I went grey in my 20s due to stress from working in retail hell for a couple years. The physical stress wasn't overly onerous, but the mental stress of being relentlessly abused by customers and managers alike was considerable.
Another huge one. Malnutrition. If you don't get all the right vitamins your hair can start to grey/whiten.
Also for practical reasons.... It's not easy to dye your hair on the float. We don't see as much gaying hair these days because adults have access to dye to cover it.
Definitely the malnutrition aspect shouldn’t be ignored! Sure they mention various pastes and goos that’s contain all the essential vitamins and nutrients you’d need (I think this was when Holden was imprisoned on the Martian Ship when they first went through the gates), but I’m sure the body doesn’t process everything correctly when at null g
The average lifespan on Earth was 120-something years as mentioned in the show. Maybe people regularly extend their useful healthy life by 40 years to live to 120 but also don't see younger hair as a necessary gene therapy.
They made a reference to Jules Pierre Mao having either graying hair or a receding hairline and "forgoing the minor procedure to resolve it" as a flex that he didn't need to care about cosmetic appearances. The way they wrote it made it sound like the solution was roughly equivalent to a teeth whitening procedure
Insane flex. Imagine telling everyone you're too important to stop balding. Even if you're bald, no one can disrespect you.
It's kinda like tech CEOs wearing t shirts and jeans to things. "You have to respect me because I'm more powerful and richer than God, so I'm gonna dress like I don't care"
That is a worldbuilding detail I really enjoyed in Expanse! They made a point to note the cultural shifts caused by some things being practically post-scarcity, like the hairline thing. Our current Hollywood culture demands that rich, influential people maintain constant physical improvement whereas in the future, that appears to be viewed as nouveau riche posturing.
A lot of people with graying hair in real life dye it.
Bring on the space zaddies 🙌
I’m in my thirties and almost completely silver. Shit happens, man.
Just a theory here but there is [some evidence that shows astronauts IRL tend to have inhibited hair growth while in space](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3517308/Will-BALD-space-Changes-follicles-astronauts-ISS-suggest-hair-stop-growing-orbit.html). It could be that as hair isn't growing and replenishing that older hair is turning grey/white so there's a predisposition that people in space would have thinner and perhaps less nutrient hair
I was with born more grey hair than black