For years, the majority associated the appearance of white hair with the simple passing of the years. However, a new study by a group of scientists of the New York University Grossman School of Medicine revealed that this change in hair is linked to a more complex phenomenon.

The research was published in the journal Nature. According to experts, the secret is in the melanocyte stem cells (McSC), which are responsible for giving color to the hair. The work showed that, when these cells remain motionless For a long time inside the hair follicle, they stop producing the protein that generates pigment. Thus, the hair loses color and gray hair appears.

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Research to reveal the origin of gray hair

The experiments that were carried out in mice allowed us to observe how McSCs normally move between different areas of the hair follicle. This movement is key for them to mature and be able to manufacture the protein that gives hair color.

But the researchers detected that, in certain circumstances, these cells can become “trapped” in a specific region of the follicle, known as the boss. When that happens, the WNT proteins —which should activate cells to regenerate and produce pigment— they fail to fulfill their function. The result is that the cells stop moving, lose the ability to regenerate and hair turns gray or white.

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“These findings suggest that the mobility of melanocyte stem cells and their reversible differentiation are key to maintaining healthy and colored hair,” he explained. Mayumi Itothe principal investigator of the study.

Specialists stressed that the appearance of gray hair is the result of a combination of biological and genetic factors. While aging remains an important factor, The key would be in the behavior of the stem cells within the hair follicle.