Keratin, a colorless protein, is the main component of our hair. As a result, our hair is virtually white before it emerges from the skin.
How is this even possible?
Hair follicles are where our hair grows. Melanocytes, which create melanin, are found in hair follicles. Melanin is introduced into the keratin cells when our hair grows. Our hair gets its color from melanin. The sort of melanin injected now determines the color of our hair. Pheomelanin turns our hair red or blond, while eumelanin makes it black or brown. Melanocytes, on the other hand, produce less melanin as we become older. As a result, less melanin is pumped into hair, leading it to turn white over time.
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| Aging process; Image credits: Atlas biomed |
Have you ever seen someone try to colour their gray hair to hide it?
There are two sections to each hair on our heads:
- a shaft — the pigmented part of our skulls that grows out
- a root – the bottom section of the hair that anchors it to the scalp
The hair follicle is a tube of tissue beneath the skin that surrounds the root of each strand of hair. A particular amount of pigment cells are found in each hair follicle. These pigment cells produce a substance called melanin on a regular basis, which gives the growing shaft of hair its color, which ranges from brown to blonde to black to red and everything in between.
Some people believe that a major shock or stress can cause a person’s hair to turn white or gray overnight, however scientists disagree. Try not to frighten your parents too much just in case. You certainly don’t want to be held responsible for any of their gray hairs!
