Vol 6, No 4 (2020)
Review paper
Published online: 2020-12-01
Age-related graying of the hair — a brief summary of potential mechanisms
Forum Dermatologicum 2020;6(4):113-116.
Abstract
Graying of the hair is one of the most eye-catching phenotypic changes related to the chronological aging. During the last decades, scientists have engaged in research that has increased our understanding of different mechanisms of aging of a hair follicle, however many aspects of this process remain unclear. Progressive hypopigmentation of the hair shaft has been associated with decrease in number of melanocytes and tyrosinase hypoactivity in the hair bulb along with the depletion of melanocyte stem cells (MSCs) in the bulge area. Pathogenesis of graying may involve oxidative damage and incompetent MSCs maintenance. Moreover, other factors such as defective melanosomal transfer as well as insufficient neuroendocrine stimulation of MSCs and melanogenesis are hypothesized to play an important role.
Keywords: grayinghair folliclemelanocytes
References
- Park AM, Khan S, Rawnsley J. Hair Biology: Growth and Pigmentation. Facial Plast Surg Clin North Am. 2018; 26(4): 415–424.
- Tobin DJ. Aging of the hair follicle pigmentation system. Int J Trichology. 2009; 1(2): 83–93.
- Gowda VK, Srinivas S, Srinivasan VM. Waardenburg Syndrome Type I. Indian J Pediatr. 2020; 87(3): 244.
- Pandhi D, Khanna D. Premature graying of hair. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2013; 79(5): 641–653.
- Fernandez-Flores A, Saeb-Lima M, Cassarino DS. Histopathology of aging of the hair follicle. J Cutan Pathol. 2019; 46(7): 508–519.
- Tobin DJ, Paus R. Graying: gerontobiology of the hair follicle pigmentary unit. Exp Gerontol. 2001; 36(1): 29–54.
- Ricci F, De Simone C, Del Regno L, et al. Drug-induced hair colour changes. Eur J Dermatol. 2016; 26(6): 531–536.
- Brenner M, Hearing VJ. The protective role of melanin against UV damage in human skin. Photochem Photobiol. 2008; 84(3): 539–549.
- Bustamante J, Bredeston L, Malanga G, et al. Role of melanin as a scavenger of active oxygen species. Pigment Cell Res. 1993; 6(5): 348–353.
- Slominski A, Wortsman J, Plonka PM, et al. Hair follicle pigmentation. J Invest Dermatol. 2005; 124(1): 13–21.
- Tobin DJ. Age-related hair pigment loss. Curr Probl Dermatol. 2015; 47: 128–138.
- Keogh EV, Walsh RJ. Rate of greying of human hair. Nature. 1965; 207(999): 877–878.
- Arck PC, Overall R, Spatz K, et al. Towards a "free radical theory of graying": melanocyte apoptosis in the aging human hair follicle is an indicator of oxidative stress induced tissue damage. FASEB J. 2006; 20(9): 1567–1569.
- Fuchs J, Zollner TM, Kaufmann R, et al. Redox-modulated pathways in inflammatory skin diseases. Free Radic Biol Med. 2001; 30(4): 337–353.
- Epel ES, Blackburn EH, Lin J, et al. Accelerated telomere shortening in response to life stress. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004; 101(49): 17312–17315.
- Emerit I, Filipe P, Freitas J, et al. Protective effect of superoxide dismutase against hair graying in a mouse model. Photochem Photobiol. 2004; 80(3): 579–582, doi: 10.1562/0031-8655(2004)080<0579:PEOSDA>2.0.CO;2.
- Sabharwal R, Gupta A, Moon N, et al. Association between use of tobacco and age on graying of hair. Niger J Surg. 2014; 20(2): 83–86.
- Inomata K, Aoto T, Binh NT, et al. Genotoxic stress abrogates renewal of melanocyte stem cells by triggering their differentiation. Cell. 2009; 137(6): 1088–1099.
- Wood JM, Decker H, Hartmann H, et al. Senile hair graying: H2O2-mediated oxidative stress affects human hair color by blunting methionine sulfoxide repair. FASEB J. 2009; 23(7): 2065–2075.
- Liao CP, Booker RC, Morrison SJ, et al. Identification of hair shaft progenitors that create a niche for hair pigmentation. Genes Dev. 2017; 31(8): 744–756.
- Commo S, Bernard BA. Melanocyte subpopulation turnover during the human hair cycle: an immunohistochemical study. Pigment Cell Res. 2000; 13(4): 253–259.
- Van Neste D, Tobin DJ. Hair cycle and hair pigmentation: dynamic interactions and changes associated with aging. Micron. 2004; 35(3): 193–200.
- Schouwey K, Delmas V, Larue L, et al. Notch1 and Notch2 receptors influence progressive hair graying in a dose-dependent manner. Dev Dyn. 2007; 236(1): 282–289.
- Moriyama M, Osawa M, Mak SS, et al. Notch signaling via Hes1 transcription factor maintains survival of melanoblasts and melanocyte stem cells. J Cell Biol. 2006; 173(3): 333–339.
- Nishimura EK, Suzuki M, Igras V, et al. Key roles for transforming growth factor beta in melanocyte stem cell maintenance. Cell Stem Cell. 2010; 6(2): 130–140.
- Nishimura EK, Granter SR, Fisher DE. Mechanisms of hair graying: incomplete melanocyte stem cell maintenance in the niche. Science. 2005; 307(5710): 720–724.
- Harris ML, Fufa TD, Palmer JW, et al. NISC Comparative Sequencing Program. A direct link between MITF, innate immunity, and hair graying. PLoS Biol. 2018; 16(5): e2003648.
- Steingrímsson E, Copeland NG, Jenkins NA. Melanocyte stem cell maintenance and hair graying. Cell. 2005; 121(1): 9–12.
- Rudolph KL, Chang S, Lee HW, et al. Longevity, stress response, and cancer in aging telomerase-deficient mice. Cell. 1999; 96(5): 701–712.
- Paus R. A neuroendocrinological perspective on human hair follicle pigmentation. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res. 2011; 24(1): 89–106.
- Mendelsohn AR, Larrick JW. The Danger of Being Too Sympathetic: Norepinephrine in Alzheimer's Disease and Graying of Hair. Rejuvenation Res. 2020; 23(1): 68–72.
- Zhang B, Ma S, Rachmin I, et al. Hyperactivation of sympathetic nerves drives depletion of melanocyte stem cells. Nature. 2020; 577(7792): 676–681.
- Lerner AB. Gray hair and sympathectomy. Report of a case. Arch Dermatol. 1966; 93(2): 235–236.
- Cline DJ. Changes in hair color. Dermatol Clin. 1988; 6(2): 295–303.
