Cell+Stress+and+Gray+Hair

[|Gray Hair Caused by Cell Stress] June 16, 2009  This article is basically about how and why people’s hair turns gray and loses its natural pigment as they age. Cells called stem cells in us grow hair and can mature into specialized stem cells that give our hair a color. Our hair loses color primarily because of substances that damage DNA, causing many stem cells that grow hair to mature early, which leads to the depletion of hair pigment. These matured cells called melanocytes (melano meaning our hair pigment melanin, while cyte means cell) combine melanin in newly grown hair. So as we get older, more stem cells develop and use up all the melanin.  It is normal for our stem cells to keep a good balance between stem cells and mature stem cells, as this is how it is when we are young. Although it is unsure, some scientists think that stem cells mature uncontrollably because of harm done to the DNA. Some tests have been done to prove that damage done to stem cells determines aging speed. It is somewhat difficult to avoid stem cell maturation today, though, as we are exposed to UV radiation and other substances that damage our DNA. If we are aging quickly because of stem cells throughout our body are being matured, our appearance will show that we seem to be older than we actually are. But solutions are being developed that will get rid an aging appearance.  cwinter March 10, 2010