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There aren’t many people who dream of the day they look in the mirror and discover gray hairs have started invading their scalp. However, that might not be the worst development based on the alternative, as new evidence suggests you may have a lower risk of getting a certain type of cancer by turning into a silver fox.
Some people smarter than myself have attempted to figure out why society cares as much as it does about hair, which is steeped in a peculiar amount of cultural and religious significance despite its almost universal nature.
One of the more obvious explanations is that hair tends to be a central part of our individual identity to the point where it becomes intrinsically linked to one’s personality. That means many people end up facing an existential crisis if they find themselves dealing with hair loss, an issue that supports a global industry that generates tens of billions of dollars in revenue on an annual basis thanks to transplants and other treatments.
Gray hair is a slightly easier issue to grapple with, but that development can instill a similar sense of dread and send you running to the nearest pharmacy for some dye. However, it may also be a sign your body is doing you a favor in the long run.
A cancer study suggests gray hair is a healthy coping mechanism that can reduce the risk of developing melanoma
Gray hair is commonly linked with stress and aging, but the scientific explanation concerns a reduction in the levels of melanin, which can be tied to a number of genetic, nutritional, and physiological factors.
Melanin is also connected to the pigmentation of your skin, and if you’re someone who undergoes a yearly cancer screening at the dermatologist, you likely know it is inextricably linked with melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer.
Researchers at The Institute of Medical Science at the University of Tokyo recently conducted a study into that particular form of cancer and discovered a surprising link between melanoma and gray hair that seems to show your body is benefiting if some color starts disappearing from your mane.
The study hinges on an experiment on mice that were exposed to sources of radiation to see how their melanocyte stem cells (which are responsible for producing melanin) respond.
The scientists found there were some instances where the stem cells simply stopped working while leading to graying hair (or, in this case, fur), but there were others where they began to regenerate and consequently caused cancer to spread in the mice that didn’t have the color of their coat impacted.
The results were published in a paper that asserts gray hair serves as an outlet for internal stressors that could otherwise be manifested in the form of melanoma, and I think most people would sign up for that tradeoff.