Aging and white hair

[HawkI]

Hello forum, I read somewhere that people have white hair if the black eumelanin is present and the brown eumelanin is not present in hair. I would like to know why the brown eumelanin disappears as people get older.

 

[timojin]

Hello forum, I read somewhere that people have white hair if the black eumelanin is present and the brown eumelanin is not present in hair. I would like to know why the brown eumelanin disappears as people get older.

I assume there is melanin black pigment . As melanin concentration is reduced the color gets from black to brown and so on and eventually with no melanin present it becomes colorless, but since the hair fiber have flakes on the surface it reflect the light and becomes white .

 

[John Connellan]

I would like to know why the brown eumelanin disappears as people get older.

Because either melanocytes don't function as well as before and produce less melanin, or melanocytes themselves die off and are not replaced.

 

[timojin]

Because either melanocytes don't function as well as before and produce less melanin, or melanocytes themselves die off and are not replaced.

O mentioned about black hair . But what type of pigment have the people with red hair . ( apparently there must be an other pigment beside black )

 

[sculptor]

I had read that we produce hydrogen peroxide next to hair follicles, and, as we age, this takes over as we produce less pigment.
Akin to leaves reverting to their natural color absent chlorophyll?

 

[John Connellan]

I had read that we produce hydrogen peroxide next to hair follicles, and, as we age, this takes over as we produce less pigment.
Akin to leaves reverting to their natural color absent chlorophyll?

Even if we were producing the same amount of pigment, the hydrogen peroxide would turn the hair white anyway! So which is it, we produce peroxide or we produce less pigment? The production of less pigment would be enough on its own to explain it right?

 

[sculptor]

Sorry----I posted all that I know or remember of the article and subject.
The article did claim that we produce ho constantly.
I would hazard a speculation that producing more ho or less pigment would have similar effects...........(justaguess)