[chimera (OP)]

Can anyone explain why hair goes grey? Heard the most fantastic explanations, none of which really convinced me. Would really like to hear what's known about it.

(Yes I'm greying, but that's been going on for ages now, my brother has even darker hair and he started when he was in his early twenties...) [:I]

[rosy]

What makes hair coloured is the production of melanin by cells in the follicle. When these pack up and stop working the hair goes white. Why this is, I have no idea... melanin producing cells do just seem to do wierd stuff (like causing liver spots on older people's skin, and indeed freckles).
It does seem to be genetic. I started noticing white hairs on my own head when I was 18 or 19... but I can't say I was much surprised as my Dad's hair's been mostly grey since I was old enough to take notice, which I guess would have been when he was 30 or so.

[neilep]

I usually colour mine or shave it off....yesterday I decided to have a no hair today and shaved it off !!..going to save a lot of money by not needing shampoo

Men are the same as women.... just inside out !!

[ptanyuh]

Hullo.  I read the explanation about the lack of melanin causing hair to go grey, but does this happen while the hair is first growing or can it cause an already grown hair to turn grey? I ask this because I have very long hair and I've noticed just over the past year that I have a few white hairs - Very long white hairs.  I think it's impossible that I wouldn't have noticed them over the five years it took for them to get that long.  Thanks.

[daveshorts]

White hairs are quite different to the coloured ones as they tend to be coarser as well (no idea why) so I don't think they they can bleach themselves once they have grown - I think you have just not noticed.

[memasa]

quote:Originally posted by daveshorts

White hairs are quite different to the coloured ones as they tend to be coarser as well (no idea why) so I don't think they they can bleach themselves once they have grown - I think you have just not noticed.

I disagree. In 1996 when I was only 17 I was in a huge back surgery. I was in very much pain and under very much stress. I even spent a couple of days in intensive care (24 hours surveillance).
Consequently, one of my eyebrows had turned grey.

[memasa]

...And genetics is not an explanation in my case. My grandpa, for example, hardly had any grey hair when he was already 80 years old. And I'm sure, he didn't dye his hair.

[memasa]

"Theory" #2:

It may be that I didn't have the eyebrow before I was hospitalized, so it may have grown while I was in the hospital.
If that was the case, one can also assume that it grew grey right from the start. Anyways, it was the heavy stress that, for some reason, caused it to become grey, I think.

Is this generally applicable?

[memasa]

Or more accurately: does mental stress decrease the production of melanin?

[qazibasit]

well chimera same is the case with me if you got any solution except dyeing plz inform me.

[memasa]

Well, if there's no one else to answer my question I'll find the answer myself.. Hmmph.

I googled "melanin" + "stress", and found the following adress: http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/apr2001/987553154.Me.r.html.

But the short answer to my question is "yes" as you'll see from the article. Stress can cause your hair to turn grey.

[Andrew K Fletcher]

I have a friend who had his kneecap kicked off in a game of soccer, his beard went white in the space of a few weeks, so I guess shock / pain can play a significant part.

Also, posture plays a part, check out the silver back gorilla, whose weight causes the spine to curve in the middle due to the huge amount of bulk he has to carry while on all fours. http://www.kilimanjaro.com/gorilla/goripict.htm

I believe this postural compromising of the circulation in the skin results in a reduction of pigment in the hair.

Next, the chimp that stood upright, had a marked change in the location of hair after walking upright http://www.dvmx.com/oliver.html Note, the change in location of the hair in relation to the upright posture of this ape.

Andrew

"The explanation requiring the fewest assumptions is most likely to be correct."
K.I.S. "Keep it simple!"

[lizauko]

wait a minute..tis simple...stress!thats is the closest science can get to explaining it!

[lizauko]

quote:Originally posted by rosy

What makes hair coloured is the production of melanin by cells in the follicle. When these pack up and stop working the hair goes white. Why this is, I have no idea... melanin producing cells do just seem to do wierd stuff (like causing liver spots on older people's skin, and indeed freckles).
It does seem to be genetic. I started noticing white hairs on my own head when I was 18 or 19... but I can't say I was much surprised as my Dad's hair's been mostly grey since I was old enough to take notice, which I guess would have been when he was 30 or so.

good one...maybe there is a connection between the production of melanin and the stress levels in humans[?]

[lizauko]

quote:Originally posted by rosy

What makes hair coloured is the production of melanin by cells in the follicle. When these pack up and stop working the hair goes white. Why this is, I have no idea... melanin producing cells do just seem to do wierd stuff (like causing liver spots on older people's skin, and indeed freckles).
It does seem to be genetic. I started noticing white hairs on my own head when I was 18 or 19... but I can't say I was much surprised as my Dad's hair's been mostly grey since I was old enough to take notice, which I guess would have been when he was 30 or so.

also if you have an idea on how to prevent hair from falling pliz help me[V]

[shodashi]

It depends on the age of a person. I also had a greying problem at the age of 19 when some streaks of white hair appeared. I asked my mother to prepare hibiscus oil and started applying it. Only, now at the age of 46, I have started greying more i.e about a sixty of my hair. Hibiscus oil can be prepared in the fallowing manner: take around 200 flowers of hibiscus rosasinesis, remove the calyx, boil them in four litre of water and squeeze them when cool. Remove the pulp, mix a litre of gingelly oil with the hibiscus decoction and heat the mixture in a low fire till the water evoporates and only the oil part remains. Use the oil as a hair oil and see how a twenty year old never gets any further grey  hairs than he got  after using it till he turns 40 or 46 like me.

Helping people to realize their souls/ spirits, meditate by teaching them meditation free of cost

[hairie]

does stress can cause grey hair? Because I used to have grey hair this lately. It is so weird for a girl at my age to have grey hair! My mom said I ate too much instant food but I thought I have stop eating it since this year. I have heard my bestfriend said that stress can also be the cause to grey hair because she too, has grey hair. And I'm so stress this november and december. Can stress be cause?

[Solvay_1927]

Worrying is definitely a cause of greying hair.

I had jet black hair when I was younger, but I started going grey in my early 30s.  I think it was because I spent so much time worrying about whether my hair was going to go grey or not. []

I remember when it started getting noticeable, I asked the missus: "Has my hair turned grey?"  She said "No, you've just got that sophisticated salt-and-pepper look."  So I said "Thanks, I'll take that as a condiment". [)]

[ukmicky]

paul i thought you were young, like early twenties. []

Michael                                      

[Solvay_1927]

quote:paul i thought you were young, like early twenties.

WHY??


I've looked up an old entry - I think my posting on this link tells you all you need to know:
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2786