Why Do Hairs Turn Gray?
Senile hair graying: H2O2‐mediated oxidative stress affects human hair color by blunting methionine sulfoxide repair
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Hydrogen peroxide accumulates at millimolar levels in human hair shafts in vivo — not just in cells or follicles, but within the visible hair itself.
Most assume oxidative stress happens at the cellular level, but detecting H₂O₂ directly in the hair shaft — a structural part — is unexpected and suggests graying is both internal and structural.
Practical Takeaways
While not yet proven in humans, L-methionine supplementation or topical application could theoretically help protect hair pigment enzymes from oxidation.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Hydrogen peroxide accumulates at millimolar levels in human hair shafts in vivo — not just in cells or follicles, but within the visible hair itself.
Most assume oxidative stress happens at the cellular level, but detecting H₂O₂ directly in the hair shaft — a structural part — is unexpected and suggests graying is both internal and structural.
Practical Takeaways
While not yet proven in humans, L-methionine supplementation or topical application could theoretically help protect hair pigment enzymes from oxidation.
Publication
Journal
The FASEB Journal
Year
2009
Authors
John M. Wood, H. Decker, H. Hartmann, Bhaven Chavan, Hartmut Rokos, J. D. Spencer, S. Hasse, M. Thornton, Mohammad Shalbaf, Ralf Paus, K. Schallreuter
Related Content
Claims (6)
Going gray isn’t just about getting older — it’s because of damage from stress inside the hair roots, where too much hydrogen peroxide builds up and the body can’t fight it off anymore.
Gray hair might happen because certain repair proteins are missing in the hair roots, so damage from oxidation can't be fixed properly.
Gray and white hair naturally builds up hydrogen peroxide inside the hair shaft, kind of like rust forming, and that’s a sign the hair is under more chemical stress from the inside.
When certain parts of a hair color enzyme get damaged by oxidation, it doesn't work as well, which can lead to hair gradually losing its color.
Taking L-methionine might help stop hair from going gray by protecting proteins in hair follicles, at least in lab tests.