Decision Letter: Quantitative Mapping of Human Hair Greying and Reversal in Relation to Life Stress
April 2021
TLDR Hair can naturally regain color, and stress might influence greying and its reversal.
The study explored the molecular features of reversible hair greying in humans and its connection to psychological stress. It highlighted changes in mitochondrial energy metabolism and fatty acid metabolism associated with hair pigmentation loss. However, the study did not detect psychosocial stress-related hormones or canonical markers of senescence in grey/white hair fibers. The reviewers suggested a more in-depth discussion of the pathways involved in the greying process and acknowledged the study's limitations due to the small sample size and the challenges in protein extraction from hair. The findings set the stage for future mechanistic studies.