Doesn’t the adage say “don’t make your hair gray!” to invite someone to be less anxious? A study from Harvard University (in the United States) has just confirmed what popular wisdom already knew: stress is (partly) responsible for the appearance of gray hair in humans.
The American researchers (who published their work in the specialized journal Nature) worked with a group of mice to try to uncover a potential link between stress and hair whitening.
Stress “empties the reservoir” of cells responsible for hair color
If the first studies focused on an immune hypothesis (researchers believed that stress caused a disproportionate immune response resulting in the destruction of cells responsible for producing pigments) then on a hormonal hypothesis (researchers believed that the stress hormone , cortisol, was responsible for capillary depigmentation), scientists have finally succeeded in discovering the pot of roses.
What happens when you experience prolonged stress? Researchers have found that under stress, the sympathetic nervous system (responsible for “exciting” organs and the flight/fight response) secretes a substance – called noradrenaline or norepinephrine. However, this process leads to an excessive stimulation of the stem cells responsible for the formation of the cells responsible for the coloring of the hair.
Problem : if the stressful situations are repeated, the “reservoir” of cells contributing to hair pigmentation is reduced prematurely… and the hair, which can no longer be colored, turns white. CQFD! Morality: to protect yourself against white hair, it is imperative to de-stress…
Read also :
Viral infections could accelerate the arrival of white hair
White hair, source of heart problems?
Early baldness: a risk factor for heart disease
