How and why do some hairs turn gray?

Question

From a biological standpoint, how does one hair follicle on your head suddenly turn gray?

In: 6

Answer 1

As we age, the pigment cells in our hair follicles gradually die. When there are fewer pigment cells in a hair follicle, the strand of hair that grows from that follicle will no longer contain as much melanin and will become a more transparent color — like gray, silver, or white. This is why hair often turns gray as we get older.