As we age, our hair turns grey, which is only natural, and it actually gives us distinction, as elderly men who are retired, and experienced, have seen and used opportunities to advantage. But several men, particularly those in the movie and performing arts business are worried about this greying and apply potions and lotions in order to look younger and handsome. With women, the story seems different, perhaps thanks to their using traditional and modern medical oils, and bathing, which appears to delay age-dependent greying. Women also do not have moustaches and beards like men do. Is there a sex-dependent reason for this?
An article in the April 16, 2023 issue of Nature mentions that for unknown reasons, the melanocyte stem cells, which produce skin and hair colour in mice and humans, fail earlier than other stem cell populations in the body. During ageing, the article describes how the hair in mice turns grey when certain stem cells involved in making the pigment which gives the mouse its colour, get stuck. The pigment-producing stem cells must keep moving, otherwise the colour stays on. Will this be true for humans, and is there a sex-based difference? The answer is yet to come.
An earlier article titled “The science of grey hair”, published by the Columbine Health Systems for Healthy Aging, of the Colorado State University in March 30, 2022 talks about where and how hair colour comes from. There are two different types of the molecule melanin that are present in hair follicles. One type called eumelanin, when present in significant amounts in the hair cells, leads to black and brown hair while small amounts lead to blond colour. Just as our aged film heroes want to look younger, our lady heroines want the young blond look and try various oils and hair bleaching technologies to look young.
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Is there a sex difference in the greying of hair, and also environmental difference on where you live? The answer is yet to come from genetics and environmental conditions. But suggestions have been made on how to reduce balding and grey hair. Some of these are: eat more antioxidants, vegetables and fruits, quit smoking, and use natural remedies. Of the latter, Chyavanaprasam from Ayurveda is claimed to be one such, since it contains several natural products rich in antioxidants and vitamins, and claimed to promote hair growth, and reduce its greying. So does the Unani medicine Zinda Tilismath, which is rich in Eucalyptus oil, rich in vitamins and antiaging molecules.
Yet, the best way to grow hair, reduce its greying, helpful in keeping young and tasty at the same time is to eat a lot of vegetables and fruits (tomato, spinach, raspberry, broccoli and dark chocolates). Plus, millets such as ragi, jowar, bajra (thinai in Tamil and Malayalam, or odalu in Telugu) in food rather than wheat or rice, since they promote hair growth and keep existing hair healthy. Whether they contain melanin, and whether melanocytes in them, and are sex-specific are questions yet to be answered.
