Home » Stress makes hair gray, but the process is reversible: the study

Stress makes hair gray, but the process is reversible: the study

by admin

What if graying hair could return to its original color? Second a study of the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, published in the journal eLife, it’s possible. Researchers have found that gray hair is a consequence of psychological stress, but the process seems reversible: by reducing or eliminating the stress that caused the graying, it is possible to generate the growth of new hair from the natural pigment. The discovery, according to the study authors, provides new data to the “growing number of studies showing that human aging is not a linear and fixed biological process, but can, at least in part, be interrupted or even temporarily reversed ”.

Hair: a tool for investigating aging

Just like the rings in a tree trunk contain information about the past decades in a tree’s life, – says the senior author of the study Martin Picard, PhD, Associate Professor of Behavioral Medicine (in Psychiatry and Neurology) at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons -, i our hair contains information about our biological history and could provide new clues about the aging process and how this is affected by stress “. “When the hairs are still under the skin as follicles keep it going -, they are subject to the influence of stress hormones and other events that happen in our mind and body. Once the hairs grow from the scalp, these exhibits permanently harden and crystallize into a stable form. Although people have long believed that psychological stress can accelerate the appearance of gray hair, scientists have questioned this belief due to the lack of evidence that accurately correlates stress with hair pigmentation. “.

The study and the results

“Parting the hair to investigate their pigmentation – declares Ayelet Rosenberg, first author of the study and student in Picard’s laboratory – has developed a new method to capture highly detailed images of tiny portions of these and quantify the amount of pigment lost (graying): each portion, about 1/20 of a millimeter, represents about an hour of hair growth “. “If you look at a hair with your eyes- specific Picard, it will appear to be the same color; with a high resolution scanner, however, you can see small and subtle variations in color, and that’s what we measured“. The researchers analyzed the individual hairs of 14 volunteers. The data collected was then correlated with the “stress diary” of each volunteer, who were asked to review their calendars and assess each week’s stress level. The analysis revealed surprising associations between stress and hair graying and, in some cases, a reversal of graying with the disappearance of stress. “There was an individual who went on vacation, five hairs had gone dark when he returned “.

Mitochondria: a link between stress and hair color

To better understand how stress causes gray hair, the researchers also measured the levels of thousands of proteins in the hair and how the protein levels changed along the length of each hair. Changes in 300 proteins occurred when hair color changed, and the researchers developed a mathematical model that suggests that stress-induced changes in the mitochondria could explain how stress makes hair gray. “We often hear that mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell, but that’s not the only role they play “, dice Picard. “Mitochondria are actually like little antennae inside the cell that respond to a variety of different signals, including psychological stress. “ The connection that emerged between mitochondria, stress and hair color runs counter to a recent study in mice, which found that stress-induced graying was caused by an irreversible loss of stem cells in the hair follicle. “Our data show that graying is reversible in people, which implies a different mechanism“says the co-author Ralf Paus, PhD, Professor of Dermatology at the Miller School of Medicine of the University of Miami.Mice have very different hair follicle biology, and this could be a case where the results in mice don’t translate well for people. ”

Stress Makes Hair White: Science Explains Why

Hair re-pigmentation is only possible for some

Reducing stress in life should be everyone’s goal, but eliminating it won’t necessarily restore your hair to its original color. “Based on our mathematical models, we think hair must reach a threshold before it turns gray“- he claims Picard.In middle age, when hair is close to that threshold due to biological age and other factors, stress will push them over the threshold and they will turn gray. But we don’t think – conclude that reducing stress in a 70-year-old can make his gray hair dark for years now, or increasing stress in a 10-year-old boy can make his hair gray. “

.

You may also like

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More

Privacy & Cookies Policy