1) A study shows that psychological stress can turn hair gray but the hair color can be restored if the stress is eliminated. A previous study in mice showed that hair turning gray is permanent.
2) The researchers developed a new method to look at images of human hair that are about 1/20th of a millimeter wide. Each image slice is equivalent to about one hour of hair growth. There were 14 volunteer subjects whom all kept a stress dairy. When stress is eliminated, some hair in the subjects actually reverted back to the original color.
3) The study showed changes occurred in 300 proteins when hair changed color. The researchers think stress induces changes in mitochondria, which are the energy producing powerhouses in cells.
The study was done by researchers at Columbia University and published in the journal eLife.
Journal source: eLife
Quantitative mapping of human hair greying and reversal in relation to life stress
Jun 22, 2021