European researchers may have found a permanent solution to graying hair by reversing color in hair follicles.
Gray hair is a sign of aging and no one wants to look old. Hence, it's been an ancient tradition where men and women try to cover up their gray hair with dyes and bleaches. Initially, black was the only color available but with the changing times cosmetic companies have released different shades of hair color that help in covering up the grays. No matter how much these brands promise that their dyes are permanent, the color does wear off with time and you need to constantly dye your hair.
Not anymore!
A group of European researchers may have found a way that could permanently deal with the problem of graying hair - reversing the hair follicles. According to researchers, the technique can be used not only to tackle hair graying problems but can also help people with skin disorders like vitiligo. Although, Vitiligo is not a life threatening disease, it changes skin pigmentation.
Hair begins to gray because of the hydrogen that builds up in the hair follicles, which leads the hair to bleach itself from the inside out, a result of extreme oxidative stress. However, researchers say that this process can be reversed by a treatment called PC-KUS, a modified pseudocatalase.
"For generations, numerous remedies have been concocted to hide gray hair," Dr. Gerald Weissmann, the editor-in-chief of The FASEB Journal, in which the study is published, said in a statement, "but now, for the first time, an actual treatment that gets to the root of the problem has been developed. While this is exciting news, what's even more exciting is that this also works for vitiligo. This condition, while technically cosmetic, can have serious socio-emotional effects of people. Developing an effective treatment for this condition has the potential to radically improve many people's lives."
The findings of the study are published online in The FASEB Journal.
