Why does hair turn grey? I know it loses pigment but why does it happen?

Answer 1

Have you ever watched someone try to cover up gray hair by dyeing it? Or maybe you wonder why your granddad has a full head of silver hair when in old pictures it used to be dark brown? Getting gray, silver, or white hair is a natural part of growing older, and here's why.

Each hair on our heads is made up of two parts:

a shaft - the colored part we see growing out of our heads
a root - the bottom part, which keeps the hair anchored under the scalp
The root of every strand of hair is surrounded by a tube of tissue under the skin that is called the hair follicle (say: fah-lih-kul). Each hair follicle contains a certain number of pigment cells. These pigment cells continuously produce a chemical called melanin (say: meh-luh-nin) that gives the growing shaft of hair its color of brown, blonde, red, and anything in between.

Melanin is the same stuff that makes our skin's color fair or darker. It also helps determine whether a person will burn or tan in the sun. The dark or light color of someone's hair depends on how much melanin each hair contains.

As we get older, the pigment cells in our hair follicles gradually die. When there are fewer pigment cells in a hair follicle, that strand of hair will no longer contain as much melanin and will become a more transparent color - like gray, silver, or white - as it grows. As people continue to get older, fewer pigment cells will be around to produce melanin. Eventually, the hair will look completely gray.

People can get gray hair at any age. Some people go gray at a young age - as early as when they are in high school or college - whereas others may be in their 30s or 40s before they see that first gray hair. How early we get gray hair is determined by our genes. This means that most of us will start having gray hairs around the same age that our parents or grandparents first did.

Gray hair is more noticeable in people with darker hair because it stands out, but people with naturally lighter hair are just as likely to go gray. From the time a person notices a few gray hairs, it may take more than 10 years for all of that person's hair to turn gray.

Some people think that a big shock or trauma can turn a person's hair white or gray overnight, but scientists don't really believe that this happens. Just in case, try not to freak out your parents too much. You don't want to be blamed for any of their gray hairs!

Answer 2

It doesn't always have a lot to do with age, although almost all older people do become white headed, if they still have hair that is. But, if you are younger, it is in the genes. Some turn grey in their 20's, then 40's, and so on. When you get older like over 60 you should begin to get grey hair. I have a friend that is 68, and does not have but a small amt of grey hair, it is in her family.

Answer 3

It is a part of ageing - like leaves changing colour in the fall. Your body has to concentrate on all the bits breaking down so it sends all the nutrients to the important organs and stops with the bling-bling (like hair)......lol

Answer 4

Gene is responsible for hair greying.

Answer 5

it's just all in your genes. I know men in their 50's with a full head of beautiful brown hair

Answer 6

You are genetically programmed to have gray hair or not at a certain time in your life.

Answer 7

Because the older you get, the more pigment you loose.

Answer 8

it's just the process of the golden years

Answer 9

cuz its melanin that gives it the colour as a person goes old it becomes to weak to produce colour for hair