New study shows how and why hair turns gray over time

We may have reached the beginning of a time when Grey hair will no longer be a concern? See what this new study discovered about our hair.

About the study

Through a recent study, researchers at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine may have discovered the natural mechanism behind hair aging, which causes hair to turn gray.

According to the research, stem cells, which have the ability to transform into different types of cells and are responsible for maintaining hair color, become trapped in hair follicles, preventing cell maturation and resulting in hair aging.

The researchers used melanocyte stem cells (McSCs) from mice, which are also found in humans. These cells move between hair follicles, which are pockets in the skin where hair roots reside.

The study also suggests that, if the phenomenon is valid for humans, it would be possible to find ways to reverse and prevent this hair graying.

According to the study’s lead researcher, Qi Sun, the attachment of McSCs in humans is likely and could open doors for the development of mechanisms that could help in the locomotion of these cells between developing follicles.

How does this natural mechanism work?

Stem cells receive signals to mature and produce pigment in the hair. These cells, in the form of McSCs, become trapped in the stem cell compartments, called the “hair follicle bulge,” as they age and fall out repeatedly.

These cells have the ability to travel between follicles, encouraging hair growth through signals received by the body itself.

One of the researchers, Mayumi Ito, says that the loss of this function in melanocyte stem cells may be responsible for the loss of hair color.

Therefore, although the discovery was made in mouse cells, researchers are optimistic that the process will also occur in humans. Therefore, the development of research and ways to reverse aging may be increasingly close.