Healthy living
Anti-ageing
A grey area?
Scientists have uncovered the cause of grey hair - and it's not necessarily age
Going grey is caused by a massive build up of hydrogen peroxide due to wear and tear of our hair follicles, say researchers from the universities of Bradford, Mainz and Luebeck.
According to the FASEB Journal, hydrogen peroxide blocks the normal production of melanin, the pigment responsible for hair, skin and eye colour.
By examining hair and cells taken from human hair follicles, the team discovered that the drop in melanin was triggered by events involving four different enzymes in the hair follicle cells.
First, the build-up of hydrogen peroxide in the hair was caused by a reduction in an enzyme called catalase that normally breaks up hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen and gets rid of it.
However, because of low levels of other enzymes, called repair enzymes A and B, the hair follicles could not repair the damage caused by the build-up of hydrogen peroxide.
Then, to complicate matters, the increase in levels of hydrogen peroxide together with the low levels of the repair enzymes, disrupted the production of the fourth enzyme called tyrosinase, which is responsible for producing melanin.
The researchers speculate that a similar loss of melanin could be the root cause of vitiligo, a condition where white, de-pigmented, patches begin to appear on the skin.
Lead researcher, Karin Schallreuter, said: "This discovery is a major breakthrough in the understanding of hair greying and opens up some novel ideas to combat this scenario. These are being followed up at the current time in our laboratory."
More on hair
- Hair care for men
- Hair flair for the over 50s
- Lab-grown cells could help put hairs back on your head
- Preventing hair loss
More on ageing well
Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.
