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The stories that someone turned gray after a strong nervous shock was heard by everyone – they say, from fear in an instant, the head turns white. But is there a real link between stress and hair color change?
In history, such episodes were really described. True, the details were presented solely from the words of eyewitnesses, there was no documentary evidence. The name of the last French queen, Marie Antoinette, who was executed during the days of the French Revolution, is often mentioned in literature. Allegedly, on the last night of her life, her hair turned completely gray. It does not matter if this is a reliable fact or a romanticization of the image of a martyr, but Marie Antoinette’s syndrome has served as a pretext for the modern scientific experiment conducted today by scientists at Harvard University, the results of which were shared by The Guardian.
Is it true that hair can turn gray overnight: dealing with an expert
Description of the experiment and its results
The experiment was carried out on mice, which were artificially staged under stress conditions. As a result, the rodents acquired rather large (up to 30 percent) areas of unpainted cover. Laboratory observations have shown that the cause of this was depletion in the stem cells, which are located at the base of the hair follicles. But, as expected, the white hair of the mice did not appear immediately, but after a few weeks. At the same time, only new hairs changed the color.
So can hair turn gray overnight as a result of a strong shock, fright, fear, or is it an artistic technique for the sake of a catchphrase? Is there a physiological explanation for this phenomenon? We’ll ask a specialist.
Expert Opinion
– In short, is it possible to turn gray overnight, I will say: no or unlikely. To better understand the mechanism of gray hair, let’s start with physiology.
Hair is a filamentous protein produced by hair follicles. The main component of the hair is keratin. A hair shaft grows from a hair follicle surrounded by a follicle. The core consists of the upper layer – the cuticle, the middle layer – the cortex, it contains keratin and melanin, and the core – medula. That is, the substance that gives tone to the hair, melanin (produced by melanocyte cells), is located in the cortex, the middle layer of the hair shaft. The color is determined by the amount of pigments – eumelanin and pheomelanin: if there is more than the first, the hair is dark, if the first is light. Lack of pigment is gray hair. It usually begins to appear in middle-aged people due to a decrease and cessation of melanin production.
The work of melanocytes is determined by genetic factors, but unfavorable circumstances also affect their work. Normally, the activation of the synthesis of the enzyme melatonin is under the influence of hormones. The main regulating hormones – melanocyte-stimulating, ACTH, beta-lipotropic, also affects the production of melatonin by the state of the thyroid gland, the amount of sex hormones and other factors.
So, the pigment composition of the hair can change in some diseases:
vitiligo;
iron deficiency anemia;
some diseases of the thyroid gland;
after radiation and chemotherapy.
Why does hair turn gray after stress?
Under severe stress, the body produces the hormone adrenaline, which slows down blood flow in the vessels of the hair follicles, and against this background, the production of the enzyme melatonin may stop. But it is unlikely that all hairs will lose pigment at the same time.… Most likely, after a spasm of the capillaries, the hair lacks nutrition, it falls out. And this happens primarily with new pigmented hairs. From nervous experiences, hair falls out in greater quantities than usual. And if a person already has gray hair, then it will become more noticeable in this case. This is visual perception.
Who should you go to for help?
Solving the problem in case of pigmentation disorders requires an integrated approach. For advice, you need to consult a trichologist, if necessary, also an endocrinologist, therapist, gastroenterologist. To clarify the condition of the hair, studies are prescribed: to determine the trace elements in the hair and blood, the level of vitamins, especially vitamin D, and other tests (thyroid hormones, sometimes sex hormones).
But in most cases, the appearance of gray hair is a natural, genetically programmed process. Although, again, external factors are not excluded. Gray hair is not a one-day process. Therefore, all the stories about how a young man instantly became gray-haired are a little embellished by storytellers. In practice, this cannot be.
By the way, the condition of the hair is influenced not only by the biochemical processes of the body, but also by improper care: excessive use of irons, curling irons, hair dryers, the use of paint, chemicals for lightening – all this directly affects the production of melanin.