A recent groundbreaking study explains why hair turns gray as we age. Stem cells hold the power to regenerate tissues and maintain youthful features. But not all stem cells age equally! Melanocyte stem cells (McSCs) tend to fail earlier than others. The result? Gray hair! 😳
The ability of McSCs to move where they live inside of hair follicles is the key. When they can’t move, they can’t mature into melanocytes — meaning they can’t regenerate new hair color over growth cycles. As we age, the cells get stuck and stranded. (Like about everything else in the body we took for granted in our youth.)
All of my McSCs are clogged up and probably just hanging out together — lounging and shooting the breeze.
The pattern found by researchers…
“If we can physically move jammed cells back to their germ compartment or enhance their motility, we might prevent or reverse graying,” says Dr. Qi Sun, lead investigator of the study.
If that becomes a possibility — I wonder if reverse baldness will someday be possible too!
The advancements may unlock other solutions.
As research progresses, who knows what solutions will be unlocked for age-related conditions?! The more researchers learn and understand about aging and cellular regenerations, the more advances become available.
In the meantime, we’re stuck using AI to address aging cosmetic concerns.
Now you know: In 2015, 18-year-old Julian Hernandez learned he was listed in a database for missing children when he met with his high school guidance counselor to apply for college. This would lead to him discovering that his dad had kidnapped him from his mom when he was 5. His dad was sentenced to 4 years.