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
Gray hairs turn white because of too much hydrogen peroxide and not enough protection from it in the hair. This damages the part that makes color.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 520 / 44
Evidence Score
A snapshot of a population at a single point in time. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine the direction of cause and effect.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Gray hairs turn white because of too much hydrogen peroxide and not enough protection from it in the hair. This damages the part that makes color.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 520 / 44
Evidence Score
A snapshot of a population at a single point in time. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine the direction of cause and effect.
Publication
Authors
Wood JM, Decker H, Hartmann H, Chavan B, Rokos H, Spencer JD, Hasse S, Thornton MJ, Shalbaf M, Paus R, Schallreuter KU
Related Content
Claims (7)
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 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.
Gray hair might happen because certain repair proteins are missing in the hair roots, so damage from oxidation can't be fixed properly.
Gray hairs have more damaging chemicals like hydrogen peroxide and less of the protective enzymes that normally keep those chemicals in check.