Worried about your grey hair? Not to Worry. The cure for one of the classic signs of ageing is coming.
A team of European researchers has developed a remedy to treat people with grey hair. Grey hair is caused by the massive accumulation of hydrogen peroxide in the hair follicles, which causes the hair to bleach itself from the inside out. The build-up of hydrogen peroxide begins to block the normal production of melanin, which is our hair's natural pigment. The accumulation of hydrogen peroxide induces oxidative stress in people with grey hair.
In a new study published online in The FASEB Journal (The Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology), researchers have noted that the development of grey hair could be cured with a proprietary treatment which is described as a topical, UVB-activated compound called PC-KUS (a modified pseudocatalase) that reverses oxidative stress.
Interestingly, the same treatment could be used to treat a skin condition called vitiligo.
"For generations, numerous remedies have been concocted to hide grey hair," said Gerald Weissmann, Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal adding, "but now, for the first time, an actual treatment that gets to the root of the problem has been developed. While this is exciting news, what's even more exciting is that this also works for vitiligo. This condition, while technically cosmetic, can have serious socio-emotional effects of people. Developing an effective treatment for this condition has the potential to radically improve many people's lives."
For the study, the research team analysed an international group of 2,411 patients with vitiligo. The patients were treated with pseudocatalase activated via sunlight. Researchers noticed that the pigment of the skin and eyelashes returned.
"To date, it is beyond any doubt that the sudden loss of the inherited skin and localized hair color can affect those individuals in many fundamental ways," Karin U. Schallreuter, study author from the Institute for Pigmentary Disorders in the Netherlands, said in a statement.
"The improvement of quality of life after total and even partial successful repigmentation has been documented."
It is not yet know as to when the treatment would be available for purchase.
