When skin pigment cells are under constant stress from unstable molecules, it can throw off their balance, mess up skin color, and lead to conditions like vitiligo or dark patches.

The cells in your skin that give you your color are especially at risk from sun damage and natural byproducts of pigment production, which can harm the cells and possibly lead to skin cancer or discoloration.

Too much oxidative stress might lead to fewer pigment-producing cells in hair and cause hair to lose color, based on lab studies that simulate this stress in human hair follicles.

The pigment cells in your hair follicles can get damaged by normal sun exposure and the way they make color, especially as you get older, because their natural defenses weaken over time.