so you can return to your natural color

This seems promising, although certainly not for companies making dyes and products for covering gray hair. And according to a new study, gray hair can be reversible. This is confirmed by a New York University study published in Nature. Researchers have discovered that melanocyte stem cells (McSC), responsible for hair pigmentation, can become stuck in hair follicles, preventing them from regenerating and producing pigment. This discovery opens up the possibility of future methods of restoring hair color by restore the mobility of these cells.

Now let’s explain this in words we all understand. Hair turns gray due to a decrease in the amount of melanin, the pigment responsible for the natural color of hair. Over time, melanocytic stem cells in hair follicles They reduce its ability to regenerate, which leads to the appearance of gray hair, which, as dermatologist expert Ana Molina explained, “is not white hair, but hair without any pigment.” Factors such as age, genetics and even stress can speed up this process. Premature gray hair can also be due to nutritional deficiencies or hormonal imbalances. Oxidative stress plays an important role in the development of gray hair. This phenomenon occurs when free radicals damage pigment cells, accelerating their deterioration. This wear and tear is key and the focus of this new study..

Goodbye gray hair forever

“For unknown reasons, the melanocyte stem cell (McSC) system fails earlier than other adult stem cell populations, causing graying of hair in most humans and mice,” they state from the study: “Dedifferentiation keeps melanocyte stem cells in a dynamic niche.”. Researchers from New York University explain that until now it was thought that McSCs remained dormant and undifferentiated (unspecialized) at a specific location in the hair follicle (hair root). From there, they were activated when needed to produce pigmented cells, keeping them separate from the already mature cells that are responsible for hair color. However—and here’s the important thing—this study suggests that McSCs are not static. Instead of staying in one place, These cells move between different areas of the hair follicle.. That is, they are flexible. Cells can change from one state to another: in one they act as stem cells, and in another they begin to specialize and multiply (multiply).

Unlike other types of stem cells, McSCs do not rely as heavily on “standing reserves” of stem cells. Mature stem cells can “revert” to a more primitive state, which has not been observed before. After some time, some of these McSC are stuck in the state where they no longer function correctly or create new pigmented cells. This leads to graying of hair. If you could better control of mobility or these signs, it might be possible prevent gray hair. In other words, the new mechanisms discovered may offer a new way “help stuck cells” move again between the compartments of the developing hair follicle so that the hair will continue to maintain the natural color of our hair.

Interesting, isn’t it?