Why we turn gray?
Many people believe that gray hair is a sign of wisdom but scientists have proved that wisdom has nothing to do with it. Researchers say that our hair turn gray because of the massive development of hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is massively built up by wear and tear of hair follicles. The hydrogen peroxide blocks the normal synthesis of melanin (substance that gives skin/hair its color).
Gerald Weissmann, MD, Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal told that our hair cells make a little bit of hydrogen peroxide, but as we grew older, this little bit becomes a lot. We get our hair pigment bleached from within, and this bleaching causes our hair to turn gray and then white.
Researchers made this discovery by analyzing cell cultures of human hair follicles. They observed that the development of hydrogen peroxide was caused by a reduction of an enzyme that collapse hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen (catalase). They also found out that hair follicles could not restore the harm caused by the hydrogen peroxide because of low-levels of enzymes that generally serve this function (MSR A and B). It is also noted that the high levels of hydrogen peroxide and low levels of MSR A and B, disrupt the formation of an enzyme (tyrosinase) that directs to the production of melanin in hair follicles.
In simple words, our hair follicles (a tube of tissue under the skin that surrounds root of every strand of hair) have certain number of pigment cells. These cells produce a chemical called melanin; this melanin gives color to our hair. As people grow older the pigment cells in their hair follicles gradually die due to more production of hydrogen peroxide and when fewer pigment cells are left in a hair follicle then that strand of hair starts becoming lighter and lighter because of reduction of melanin. This can happen at any age. In some people it starts at a younger and in others it might start at a later stage. It depends on one’s genes.
Report published online in The FASEB Journal.