People with black hair will not understand the pain of people with gray hair, especially those with gray hair. At a young age, they have to choose between seeking medical advice and dyeing their hair. But for people with gray hair, Behind the scenes, we cannot ignore an important health reason!

Why does white hair grow?

In fact, hair graying is a natural aging process for a person. Hair is originally translucent, but under normal circumstances, the hair mother cells continue to divide and proliferate, causing the hair follicles to be stained with melanin during the hair growth process. , and melanin is provided by the endochromatic cells around the hair mother cells. The two cooperate with each other to produce black and shiny black hair for us.

Why does hair turn gray?

It is very simple that the raw materials for melanin production by melanocytes are interrupted, or the melanocytes directly go on strike. Therefore, the translucent hair that has not been processed by the second dyeing process breaks through the scalp and becomes longer and longer. Eventually, it turns into a white hair under the reflection of light. When more and more hair follicles stop working on melanocytes or interrupt the supply of raw materials, then a head full of silver hair becomes a reality!

What is the real reason why melanocytes interrupt their work?

The melanocytes of the hair mother die in large numbers;

Hair growth is cyclical and is divided into growth phase, regression phase and resting phase, usually 2 to 7 years. After this cycle ends , these pigment-producing melanocytes will be damaged and die, entering a new renewal cycle. However, if they fail to renew for some reason, the melanocytes can no longer produce melanin, and of course they cannot dye, so white hair grows.

The production of tyrosinase is reduced or eliminated;

Melanin is synthesized by melanocytes in hair follicles. The synthesis of melanin requires the participation of tyrosine, vitamin C and other substances, and also requires the participation of substances such as tyrosine and vitamin C. Adequate blood supply and normal function of the melanin synthesis system, they work normally to make hair black. Problems in any one of them, such as tyrosinase inhibitory substances in the human body, will cause melanin synthesis disorders and gray hair

What is the real reason?

Up to now we are not 100% sure which factors will cause gray hair, but it is generally believed that there are several causes of melanin formation disorders: genetic factors, trace elements and vitamins, psychological and endocrine factors and Environmental factors, etc., the most noteworthy of which are gray hair caused by psychological and endocrine factors!

A study led by Nobel Prize winner Dr. Robert Lefkowitz was published in the journal Nature in 2011. The study found that long-term stress and the frequent "fight or flight" stress response eventually lead to DNA damage, which not only causes aging and mental illness, but also affects the genes that control hair pigments!

Endocrine factors may be caused by lesions in certain parts of the body. The opposite of sudden white hair is sudden black hair in the elderly. In fact, it is not a good thing. Generally, it is an imbalance of hormone secretion caused by lesions, especially in At the same time, it is also accompanied by skin tenderness, hypersexuality, etc. This is likely to be an early signal of serious diseases such as pituitary tumors and adrenal cell cancer! You must seek immediate medical attention to determine the cause of the disease.

Is there any cure for gray hair?

As confusing as the cause of gray hair, how to get black hair is also a problem, but doctors generally have some suggestions:

Maintain a good mental state and optimism: Stress Increased stress response damages DNA.

Quit smoking: Smoking increases the generation of oxygen free radicals, which can destroy melanin.

Strengthen nutrition and eat a reasonable diet to supplement various trace elements

Regular head massage to increase blood circulation

Is it advisable to pull out white hair?

Fighting against gray hair is a long experience, so some friends who are too hasty will pull out the white hair, but in fact it will not help. Pulling out the white hair will not leave one less, because after a while it will appear again. It will grow out, but luckily it will not grow into two hairs, because there is one hair per follicle, no more, no less! But pulling out a lot of white hair can cause scalp inflammation.

The latest method in the scientific community

In 2018, French scientists published a paper in the journal Science stating that there is a method to protect or improve hair follicle melanocytes from damage. Their work The principle is to imitate the action of dopachrome isomerase.

This enzyme is a naturally occurring antioxidant in hair bulbs that protects melanocytes from oxidative damage. By replicating the action of dopachrome isomerase, melanocyte metabolism and survival are significantly improved, and this preparation is being formulated into a shampoo or spray to protect melanocytes.

In April 2019, Jiangsu University Li Yumei's team published a paper in "Cell Reports" on "The Potential of Inducing Melanocytes Derived from Patients' iPS Cells in Autologous Transplantation Treatment", using the pigment of patients with vitiligo Autologous iPS cells are generated from the skin cells at the lost site, and a large number of melanocytes with high proliferation ability and in vivo integration function are obtained through efficient and unique three-dimensional induced differentiation culture technology. However, this method has only been successful in rats, and there is still a long way to go in the future.

According to the latest progress in the scientific community, the solution to gray hair is making continuous progress, and gray hair may no longer be a worry in the future.