Why does hair turn white

So here's a great truth - there's no such colour as grey hair. Grey hair is dark hairs, with the newer white hairs mixed in. So how can somebody's hair turn white overnight? Easy, they first have grey hair which is actually the mix of dark hair and white hair - and then all the dark hair falls out over a few days. This could be caused by a disease called alopecia areata , where your hair, for no apparent reason, simply falls out.

Pain in mice triggered the release of adrenaline and cortisol, making their hearts beat faster and blood pressure rise, affecting the nervous system and causing acute stress. This process then sped up the depletion of stem cells that produced melanin in hair follicles. In another experiment, the researchers found they could block the changes by giving the mice an anti-hypertensive, which treats high blood pressure.

And by comparing the genes of mice in pain with other mice, they could identify the protein involved in causing damage to stem cells from stress. When this protein - cyclin-dependent kinase CDK - was suppressed, the treatment also prevented a change in the colour of their fur. This leaves the door open for scientists to help delay the onset of grey hair by targeting CDK with a drug. Grey hair gene discovered by scientists.

Many of us spend tons of time, energy, and money on our hair. This is especially true when it comes to creating and maintaining the perfect hair color. However, this can be challenging as you get older, and your hair starts to turn gray and white. The pigment in our hair is caused by melanin— the same pigment that is also responsible for our skin color.

Gray hair is caused by a loss in melanin, whereas white hair does not have any melanin at all. As you age, your hair produces less and less melanin that leads your hair to appear gray, and then eventually white. However, the speed that your hair loses melanin is largely attributed to genetics. This just goes to show that genetics play a huge role in your hair turning gray. However, there are some additional reasons outside of genetics and age that may cause your hair to turn white and gray prematurely:.

However, there may be some things that you can do to slow the onset of gray and white hair and keep your original hair color for as long as possible. Here are some things that you should do if you want to avoid graying early:. In recent years, gray hair has made a name for itself as a certified beauty trend! Even young women in their 20s are dyeing their hair chic gray colors to look older and more sophisticated. So before you reach for the hair dye, here are some ways that you can embrace your natural gray and white hair:.

In fact, it could be a good thing! So stop dyeing your hair and embrace your natural color no matter how old you are. The Prose Staff is here to share the best hair tips and tricks to help you achieve all your hair goals with custom hair care, breakthrough innovation and more. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Keep up with all the latest hair trends, tips, expert advice and stories from At Length.