Scientists from a US university have found a possible reason why some people turn gray hair at a very young age.
Some people find it attractive, but many of those affected find it rather annoying and just a sign of aging: gray hair. Sooner or later everyone gets them. But the big question is: Why do some people get gray hair at a very young age and especially suddenly?
The mechanism was previously known: so-called melanocytes, i.e. pigment cells, ensure that the hair gets its individual colour. However, when melanocytes die, pigments can no longer be produced and the hair that grows back appears gray.
The scientists from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) wanted to know what causes the melanocytes to die. To do this, the scientists conducted genetic experiments on mice with a predisposition to gray hair.
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Viral infection as a trigger for gray hair?
The researchers found that an immune response by the body can cause high numbers of melanocytes to die. In other words, a viral infection can be enough for pigment-producing cells to die off.
Although this phenomenon has so far only been studied in mice, the researchers assume that it can also occur in humans. «In a healthy person with a corresponding predisposition to gray hair, a viral infection could possibly be enough to trigger a decline in melanocytes and thus lead to premature graying,» says Melissa Harris, one of the scientists responsible, in the UAB publication.
However, this explanation is only one of many for the development of gray hair – and this process cannot be influenced so far. In this respect, it remains part of the individual appearance that does not necessarily indicate old age.
Genes also play a role and external factors can also accelerate the first appearance of gray hair – for example, if there are hormonal diseases or an extreme lack of nutrients due to a possibly wrong diet. Also, stress has a big impact. You can read more about this in the following article:
Our colleagues from STYLEBOOK have also dealt with the topic of. Here, among other things, the question of whether gray hair can be prevented is clarified.