The Science of Gray Hair The Science of Gray Hair Gray hair can
be a signature life event. Find out why it happens. InteliHealth
Medical Content The Science of Gray Hair Gray hair. To some,
it's the beginning of the end. Others accept it as a public
token of wisdom. A few think gray hair is caused by stress and
worry, though there is no evidence to support this concept.
Whether dyed, rinsed or allowed to grow naturally in its spongy,
wiry manner, the arrival of gray hair can be a signature event.
Health, heredity and environmental factors all affect when your
hair begins turning gray. But the main cause is aging. Getting
to the root of it It all begins when your body stops producing
melanin. Each strand of your hair grows out of a follicle that
has cells filled with melanin. These melanin-filled cells are
called melanocytes. Melanocytes pass melanin to adjoining cells
called keratinocytes. These produce keratin -- hair's chief
component. When keratinocytes undergo their scheduled death,
they retain melanin. T