Why Hair Turns Gray Is No Longer A Gray Area: Our Hair Bleaches Itself As We Grow Older

This article talks about the breakthrough researchers have made regarding the graying of people's hair as they age. Scientists in Europe have discovered that the changing of hair color to gray is due to a buildup of hydrogen peroxide in the hair. This buildup is due to the wear and tear of the hair follicles that occurs naturally as we age. After there is a buildup of the hydrogen peroxide, our body's ability to produce melanin (body's natural pigment) is blocked.

Everyone has a little bit of hydrogen peroxide in their hair, but as they age more of it appears and this dyes the hair from the natural color to gray to white. Just as some people choose to bleach their hair lighter, the natural buildup of hydrogen peroxide bleaches the hair from within.

The scientists found that the buildup of hydrogen peroxide was due to the lack or reduction in the amount of a catalase, an enzyme, that breaks hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. Other enzymes, MSR A and B, also play a part. They are normally used to repair the damage caused by hydrogen peroxide, but when a person's hair is graying, they have low levels of this enzyme. These two problems, the increase in hydrogen peroxide and the reduction in MSR A and B, leads to the final enzyme problem: low levels of tyrosinase. This enzyme plays a role in the production of melanin in hair follicles, which gives the hair (as well as skin and eyes) its color.

I found this really interesting because most people have to dye their hair when they get older to cover up the grays, or just live with gray hair. It was interesting to see how the science plays a role in this process. This could lead to ultimate solutions in fixing the problem of gray hair. If doctors could administer the enzymes that lack or are low, the graying of hair may be avoided.

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Jessica Sabbagh
VTPP 435-502