ITWire

As the hydrogen peroxide collects it prevents the synthesis of melanin, which is the natural pigment in hair that gives it distinctive colors of reds, browns, blondes, and blacks.

In other words, the hair bleaches itself from the inside, which makes a person’s natural hair color turn gray and eventually white.

They conclude in the abstract to their paper: “In summary, our data feed the long-voiced, but insufficiently proven, concept of H₂O₂-induced oxidative damage in the entire human hair follicle, inclusive of the hair shaft, as a key element in senile hair graying, which does not exclusively affect follicle melanocytes.”

The authors add, “This new insight could open new strategies for intervention and reversal of the hair graying process.”

Therefore, this research could one day help scientists discover how to prevent hair from turning gray and white as we age.

Author note: I wonder if the hygrogen peroxide that women put on their hair to make it blonde in color ("bleach blondes") adds to the graying of hair as these women grow older?

This might make for additional research on the topic of graying of the hair?