The graying of hair is a common sign of aging that many of us try to hide by dyeing our hair. While we cannot stop or reverse the natural aging process, scientists have discovered a possible mechanism for graying hair that could lead to the development of treatments to halt or even reverse the process.
According to a recent study published in the journal Nature, stem cells may get stuck and lose their ability to maintain hair color as they age. In the past, it was believed that melanin-producing stem cells stopped functioning properly, causing graying hair.
Some experts suggested that reversible hypopigmentation of the hair could be seen in cases of nutritional deficiencies such as protein-energy malnutrition and diseases of chronic protein loss. Copper and iron deficiencies can also cause hair graying.
The new study on mice suggests that the ability of stem cells to switch between growth compartments in follicles is affected with age, leading to graying hair. Although the study was conducted on mice, it has implications for humans since it focused on melanocyte stem cells (McSCs). As Mayumi Ito, a dermatology professor at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine, stated, ‘This is a really big step toward understanding why we grey.’ If the findings hold true for humans, scientists suggest that there could be a way to reverse or prevent gray hair in the future.
The study’s lead investigator, Qi Sun, a postdoctoral fellow at NYU Langone Health, explained that the newly discovered mechanisms raise the possibility that the same fixed-positioning of melanocyte stem cells may exist in humans. ‘If so, it presents a potential pathway for reversing or preventing the greying of human hair by helping jammed cells to move again between developing hair follicle compartments,’ Qi added.
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