Developing gray hair is a normal part of getting older. But not everyone likes how it looks on them.
Luckily, recent research has discovered why and how hair starts going gray—and it also may lay the framework for reversing it down the road.
Bear in mind that these are early findings, and it’s based on research on mice. But the study is stil getting plenty of buzz.
So, can you reverse gray hair? Here’s what we know.
What did the study find?
The study, which was published in the journal Nature, analyzed mice and found that stuck melanocyte stem cells can’t make the protein that’s needed to pigment hair. As a result, it can go gray.
The researchers specifically found that melanocyte stem cells move between compartments in developing health follicles when things are running as they should. But sometimes, the melanocyte stem cells get stuck in one compartment and can’t move to another. That sparks a cascade that keeps hair from pigmenting, leading to gray strands.
Are the results applicable to humans?
Possibly.
Since the study was just done in mice, that makes it tricky to say for sure that this will translate to humans. But the researchers said in the conclusion that the findings suggest that fixing that mobility issue in melanocyte stem cells “may represent a new approach for the prevention of hair greying.”
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Is gray hair reversible?
It’s too soon to say. This particular study just found the mechanism behind why hair turns gray. But that’s still important information.
“It presents a potential pathway for reversing or preventing the graying of human hair by helping jammed cells to move again between developing hair follicle compartments,” Qi Sun, PhD, lead study author and a postdoctoral fellow at NYU Langone Health, said in a statement.
So, in the future, keeping your usual hair color may be as simple as taking a medication—we’re just not there yet.
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.
