Why Do Hairs Turn Gray?
Mechanisms of Hair Graying: Incomplete Melanocyte Stem Cell Maintenance in the Niche
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Hairs turn gray because the special cells that make hair color don't stay healthy as we age. In mice and humans, these color-making stem cells die or turn into color-making cells too early, especially if certain genes aren't working right.
Surprising Findings
Melanocyte stem cells die specifically during dormancy due to Bcl2 deficiency, while differentiated melanocytes survive.
It was previously unclear why pigment loss occurs selectively with age; this shows stem cells are uniquely vulnerable during rest phases, not active growth.
Practical Takeaways
Understanding genetic factors like Bcl2 and MITF may one day help develop treatments to delay or prevent hair graying.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Hairs turn gray because the special cells that make hair color don't stay healthy as we age. In mice and humans, these color-making stem cells die or turn into color-making cells too early, especially if certain genes aren't working right.
Surprising Findings
Melanocyte stem cells die specifically during dormancy due to Bcl2 deficiency, while differentiated melanocytes survive.
It was previously unclear why pigment loss occurs selectively with age; this shows stem cells are uniquely vulnerable during rest phases, not active growth.
Practical Takeaways
Understanding genetic factors like Bcl2 and MITF may one day help develop treatments to delay or prevent hair graying.
Publication
Journal
Science
Year
2005
Authors
E. Nishimura, S. Granter, D. Fisher
Related Content
Claims (4)
Going gray might happen because the stem cells that keep your hair colored stop working properly as you age, according to studies in people and specially tagged mice.
In mice, when a specific gene called Bcl2 isn't working, the stem cells that make pigment die off when the hair cycle pauses, but the mature pigment cells stay alive — showing that stem cells really rely on this gene to survive.
As we age, pigment cells in our hair can go haywire and stop working properly — this might be sped up if there's a glitch in a key gene called MITF that controls how these color cells develop.
Your hair color depends on special stem cells in your hair roots, and long-term stress from inflammation or oxidation can mess them up, making them disappear or mature too soon.