Hair greying is associated with active hair growth
November 2011
in “British Journal of Dermatology”
TLDR White hair grows thicker and faster than black hair due to higher activity of growth-related genes and proteins.
The study from over a decade ago found that white hair is not only thicker and grows faster than black hair, but also exhibits a higher expression of genes and proteins related to active hair growth. Specifically, keratin and keratin-associated protein (KRTAP) genes, especially KRTAP4 isoforms, were significantly upregulated in white hair. Additionally, immunoreactivity for keratins KRT6, KRT14/16, and KRT25 was increased in the hair follicle of white hair. The study also noted a downregulation of fibroblast growth factor 5 (FGF5), which inhibits hair growth, and an upregulation of FGF7, which promotes hair growth, in white hair. These results suggest that the process of hair greying may be linked to an increase in hair growth activity. The number of participants or hair samples analyzed was not specified in the study.
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