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  • Date :
  • 3/7/2009

Secret behind gray hairs found

gray hair

Despite the common belief that stress makes hair turn gray, a new study names hydrogen peroxide as the leading cause of the condition.

According to the study published in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, the lack of the enzyme catalase, which breaks hydrogen peroxide into chemicals the body can release, makes the hair turn gray.

In the normal aging process, less catalase is made in the body; subsequently, high hydrogen peroxide levels block the production of tyrosinase, the enzyme responsible for making melanin, the hair’s natural pigment.

The follicles of the gray hair are also reported to have fewer hair-repair enzymes, responsible for producing melanin.

Scientists believe a similar mechanism is responsible for a condition known as vitiligo, where depigmented spots appear on the skin. They are optimistic that their findings will help prevent or reverse the hair’s graying process.


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