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.
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
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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
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.
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
Nishimura EK, Granter SR, Fisher DE
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.