We’re of the firm belief that gray hair is gorgeous, and so too is a bald head. Whether you feel the same way or not, a recent scientific breakthrough will turn everything you know about hair on its head.
Researchers at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center recently figured out which skin cells are at the root (ha) of hair and pigmentation loss. The study, which was performed on mice and intended to find out how some tumors form, ended up shedding light on why people bald and go gray.
According to the study, stem cell factor or SCF, is a protein “essential for hair pigmentation.” When it’s not present, hair turns gray or white. While the scientists already knew that, these findings show what happens “after those stem cells move down to the base, or bulb of hair follicles and which cells in the hair follicles produce SCF.”
The study stated that researchers can now look further into why we age in general, but according to associate professor of dermatology Dr. Lu Le, it also means there could be a cure for gray hair somewhere in the future.
“With this knowledge, we hope in the future to create a topical compound or to safely deliver the necessary gene to hair follicles to correct these cosmetic problems,” Le said.
We’ll be here scrolling through these gorgeous gray-haired women until then, thank you very much.
