Do you know why does hair turn grey?

Prof. Know Why answers:

Generally with age, our hair turns grey, although people can get grey hair at any age! Some people go grey at a very young age, whereas others may be in their forties before the first grey strand is seen. And in most of the cases, our genes determine how early we get grey hair.

But what is grey hair? How does our hair turn grey? And why at all does our hair turn grey? Lets find out the answers! Melanin is the pigment that is responsible for producing color. To put it simple, - when the cells present at the base of the hair root, stop producing this melanin, the hair shafts turn grey.

Melanin is made up of specialized pigment cells called melanocytes. These are found at the openings on the skin’s surface (follicles) through which hair grows. As the hair is being formed, melanocytes inject melanin pigments into cells containing keratin (a protein that makes up our hair, skin and nails). Throughout the years, melanocytes continue this process, giving the hair their colorful hue of black, brown, blond, etc. But with age comes the reduction in the amount of melanin and the hair gradually turns grey.

Well, people who get grey hair in their twenties might not like it, but grey streaks or salt-and-pepper hair at a matured age surely gives one - a ‘distinguished look’ or so they say!

Related Post:

• Do you know why people go bald?