Week #7: Gray Hair Don't Care

Seeing your first gray hair? Don't panic yet! This is not a post saying how you can prevent seeing more, or seeing your first one, because preventing is not possible, yet. Scientists have found the gene associated with gray hair earlier this year! And who knows, maybe they can find a way to delay this genetic annoyance?...

INTRODUCTORY VIDEO

Standard YouTube license: Why Does Your Hair Turn Gray? uploaded by Reactions

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DISCUSSION 

British scientists at the University College London were the first to discovered IRF4 gene, gene that is deemed responsible for our gray hair, early this year 2016! This gene was previously known to be present in natural hair colors, mostly brunette and blonde, until this year that they could link it to gray¹. More information and evidence about related genes are of course needed to provide more persuasive conclusion, as well as methods to control the genes to prevent or delay "graying". Even changing our natural hair or eye colors is possible without using dyes¹. So if you're interested in this area, this is an interesting and potential field to delve in! Other genes responsible for other characteristics include¹:

• EDAR - full, bushy beard
• FOXL2 - eyebrow thickness
• PAX3 - unibrow
• PRSS53 - hair curliness

Genes and Characteristics

Melanins belong to a class of compounds that act as pigments, which are derivatives of amino acid tyrosine. Three common naturally occurring melanins are eumelanin, pheomelanin, and neuromelanin. Eumelanin and pheomelanin are responsible for our hair , eyes, and skin colors, whereas neuromelanin "colors" certain regions of our brain (neuro-) and its function is independent of eumelanin and pheomelanin, but abnormalities in neuromelanin may lead to brain diseases². 

The ratio of eumelanin and pheomelanin thus determines our hair color, genetically of course. Eumelanin is a dark pigment and thus is present dominantly in brunette and black hair. Pheomelanin, not so contrary to eumelanin, is a lighter pigment present in red (not yellow or white) hair². A mixture of eumelanin and pheomelanin (with pheomelanin to be in greater proportion) produces blond. White (or gray) hair color appears when there's no melanin present, and thus when hydrogen peroxide attacks our melanin-producing-enzyme tyrosinase and causes melanins to stop producing, no-color-hair, or gray hair, forms. 

Building blocks of eumelanins and pheomelanins

It is basically as simple as that! I don't know about you but I won't be so optimistic seeing my first gray hair like the woman in this video. Now that you know how our hair turns gray, head to this article (The Most Common Gray Hair Myths Debunked) to read more about some myths of going gray. It's super easy to understand and a nice chance to unravel all those myths you've been heard all the time!

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Sources
Thumbnail background from HAIRPRINT, taken from myhair.us
Genes and Characteristics image from University College London News
Melanin building blocks image from Causes of Colors
¹ [Telegraph UK] End of grey hair in sight as scientists find gene responsible
²The color of our eyes, hair, and skin