Hair Graying, Why Does It Occur?

Hair is deemed to be a crowning glory, but what if it turns gray? Actually, in the long run, everyone’s hair will turn gray. Every decade, there is a 10% to 20% increase in chance of hair graying after 30 years. Originally, hair is white from the start and it gets it color from melanin before birth.

The hair has two types of pigment, which is the dark called eumelanin and the light called phaeomelanin. These pigments blend together to form hair colors. This melanin is composed of melanocytes that are specialized pigment cells.

The hair growth has three phases namely: Anagen, Catagen, and Deluge. In the Anagen phase, the growth of the hair fiber is very active and can continue from 2-7 years. In fact, 80%-85% of a person’s hair is in this stage. The next phase which is the transitional stage is called the Catagen phase. Here, the hair growth starts to cease its activity that may last for 10-20 days. And the last phase is the Telogen phase. 10-15% of the hair is in this phase and may last for 100 days. During this stage, the hair fiber falls out and begins again on the Anagen phase.

The human hair grows separately each. If they were all in the same cycle, humans will slough off just like the reptiles and it is strange to see it in humans. As a matter of fact, in an average scalp, there are about 100,000 to 150,000 hair strands. The hair also has the highest rate of cell division with hair growth of 0.3 millimeters per day and 1 centimeter per month.

According to Dr. Desmond Tobin, a professor of cell biology from England, hair graying occurs because the hair follicle has what they call a “melanogentic clock” that decelerates or halts the melanocyte activity. Hence, it diminishes the hair pigment. This happens barely prior to the hair fall, and during this time the roots look pale. Also, hair graying takes place because of age and genetics. For some people, the occurrence of hair becoming gray happens rapidly, whereas, others have slower progress that may occur for over decades.

Furthermore, scientists from the Harvard University suggest that a malfunction of the melanocyte stem cells (MSC) to sustain melanocytes production may possibly cause hair graying. There are also factors that can alter the hair pigmentation. It can be an intrinsic and extrinsic factor. The intrinsic factors include hormones, age, genetic defects, and body distribution. And the extrinsic factors include toxins, climate, chemical exposure and pollutants.

In 2009, European scientists had explained that hydrogen peroxide is produced in small amounts in hair follicles. The chemical build-up in the hair shafts blocks the normal melanin synthesis that leads to loss of the hair color. The hair lightens starting from the interior to the outside.

Hair graying becomes a problem in many people especially when they turn old. It is said that hair graying is already a sign of aging. People have to accept the fact that it is really a part of getting older. Nevertheless, there are ways to keep the hair’s natural color such as dyeing if a person is really eager to maintain their hair color.