The colour of each hair is determined by cells known as melanocytes which produce the pigments that colour hair. Their numbers are kept topped up by a pool of melanocyte stem cells in the hair follicle.
Over time the pool of these stem cells declines and so they are unable to refresh the pigment producing cells after each cycle, meaning hair turns grey and then white because it lacks pigment.
In 2009, a scientific team led by Loreal discovered that melanocyte stem cells found in skin are different in one significant way they contain a crucial enzyme known as TRP-2 which is not present in hair follicle melanocyte stem cells. This is the simple reason why our skin doesn't lose its pigmentation as we age, but our hair does.
They found that TRP-2 acts to protect the melanocyte stem cells from damage and promotes their longevity by several folds.
They then developed molecules that mimic the effect of TRP-2 and can be applied to hair follicles to help maintain a healthy population of melanocyte stem cells and allow hair to retain its colour for much longer. It is currently in safety trials and hopefully if all goes well will be available by the end of this decade
i think it will only prevent hair to turning gray, but propecia also claims only to prevent hair loss, but some people experience some kind of regrowt, why it would be different with this?
The colour of each hair is determined by cells known as melanocytes which produce the pigments that colour hair. Their numbers are kept topped up by a pool of melanocyte stem cells in the hair follicle.
Over time the pool of these stem cells declines and so they are unable to refresh the pigment producing cells after each cycle, meaning hair turns grey and then white because it lacks pigment.
In 2009, a scientific team led by Loreal discovered that melanocyte stem cells found in skin are different in one significant way they contain a crucial enzyme known as TRP-2 which is not present in hair follicle melanocyte stem cells. This is the simple reason why our skin doesn't lose its pigmentation as we age, but our hair does.
They found that TRP-2 acts to protect the melanocyte stem cells from damage and promotes their longevity by several folds.
They then developed molecules that mimic the effect of TRP-2 and can be applied to hair follicles to help maintain a healthy population of melanocyte stem cells and allow hair to retain its colour for much longer. It is currently in safety trials and hopefully if all goes well will be available by the end of this decade
So if you shaved your head, would the new growth have grey where there was grey before or not?
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