Theresa Larkin from Australia’s University of Wollongong answered some of the common myths in The Conversation.
So what causes hair to turn gray?
As we age, the cells become less active. The stem cells produce less melanin – which causes hair to turn gray – and less keratin, which causes hair loss. As less melanin is produced, there is less pigment that gives the hair its color. Gray hair contains a small amount of melanin, while white hair contains no melanin at all.
Non-pigmented hair appears gray, white or silver because the light reflects off the keratin, which has a light yellow hue..
Gray hair is thicker, coarser and stiffer than pigmented hair. This is because the shape of the hair follicle becomes irregular as the stem cells change with age.
Gray hair also grows faster than pigmented hair, but requires more energy for the process.
Can stress cause hair to turn gray?
Yes, stress can cause hair to turn gray. This happens when oxidative stress damages the hair follicles and stem cells and prevents them from producing melanin.Oxidative stress is an imbalance of too many harmful free radicals and not enough antioxidant chemicals that protect the body. It can be caused by psychological or emotional stress and also by autoimmune diseases.Environmental factors such as exposure to rays UV And pollution, smoking and certain medications can also have an effect.
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Melanocytes are more sensitive to damage than keratinocytes, because of the complex production steps of melanin. This is why aging and stress usually cause graying before hair loss.
Scientists have been able to link less pigmented parts of her hair with stressful events in a person’s life. In young people, whose stem cells were still producing melanin, the color returned to the hair after the stressful event passed..
Does pulling out a gray hair cause more gray hairs to grow in its place?
not. When you pluck a hair, you can notice a small tubercle at the tip. This is the root, and it grows out of the hair follicle. Pulling a hair pulls the root out of the follicle. But the follicle itself is the opening in the skin and cannot be torn off. Each hair follicle can only grow one hair. Frequent plucking can cause hair to turn gray earlier if the cells that produce melanin are damaged or tired from repeated growth cycles.
Can hair turn gray overnight?
Like in the legend about Marie Antoinette’s hair the night before the guillotine, or like the memorable part about Laura Palmer’s father in “Twin Peaks” – but this is a myth. The melanin in the hair is chemically stable, and cannot change immediately. Acute psychological stress does rapidly deplete melanocyte stem cells in mice. However, the effect is not immediately visible. The gray hair becomes visible as the hair grows – at a rate of about a centimeter per month. Not all hairs are in the growth phase at any given moment, so they cannot all turn gray at the same time.
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Will coloring hair make hair gray faster?
The answer is – it depends on the type of color. Temporary and semi-permanent colors should not cause premature graying, because they only coat the hair fiber without changing its structure. But permanent products, which contain an oxidizing agent, cause a chemical reaction with the hair. A buildup of hydrogen peroxide and other hair dye chemicals in the hair follicle can damage melanocytes and keratinocytes, which can cause graying and hair loss..
Do redheads turn gray too?
People with red hair also suffer from melanin loss with aging, but in a different way than people with black or brown hair. This is because the red-yellow and black-brown pigments are chemically different. The production of the black-brown pigment (eumelanin) is more complex and requires more energy, so it is more susceptible to damage. The production of the red-yellow pigment (paumelanin) causes less oxidative stress and is simpler. This means that it is easier for the stem cells to continue producing phaumelanin, even when they reduce their activity with aging. Over time, red hair tends to fade to strawberry-blonde and silver-white. The gray color is caused by a decrease in eumelanin activity, so it is more common in those with black and brown hair.
What can be done to slow down the process?
Genetics determine when graying begins, but it may be possible to avoid early graying by maintaining good health, reducing stress and avoiding smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and sun exposure. A healthy diet can also help, as a vitamin B12iron, calcium and zinc affect melanin production and hair pigmentation.