|| powered by | Gray hair in old age: Hydrogen peroxide inhibits
the synthesis of melanin10.03.2009 - (idw) Johannes Gutenberg-
Universität Mainz Researchers from Mainz and Bradford discover
the molecular mechanism for hair turning white and gray in old
age Gray or white hair develops with advancing age in an
entirely natural aging process which results in the generation
of less and less color pigments. Researchers of the Johannes
Gutenberg University Mainz in Germany und the University of
Bradford in Great Britain have now unlocked the secret of hair
turning white or gray in old age. According to them, free oxygen
radicals are significantly involved in the loss of hair color.
"The originator of the entire process is hydrogen peroxide,
which we also know as a bleaching agent," explains Professor
Heinz Decker of the Institute of Biophysics at Mainz University.
"With advancing age, hydrogen peroxide builds up in larger
amounts in the hair follicle and ultimately inhibits the
synthesis of the color pigment melani