Researchers say they may have treatment for gray hair

[bananas]

Source: UPI

One of the classic signs of aging -- gray hair -- and covering it with chemical pigments -- hair dye -- may be a thing of the past, European researchers say.

The researchers say people who go gray develop massive oxidative stress via accumulation of hydrogen peroxide in the hair follicle, which causes hair to bleach itself from the inside out.

This massive accumulation of hydrogen peroxide can be remedied with a treatment developed by the researchers described as a topical, ultraviolet B-activated -- sunlight -- compound PC-KUS, a modified pseudocatalase. Their study also showed the same treatment works for the skin condition, vitiligo.

Dr. Karin U. Schallreuter of the Centre for Skin Sciences at the University of Bradford in England and colleagues at the Institute for Pigmentary Disorders in association with E.M. Arndt University of Greifswald, Germany, developed a patented cream called pseudocatalase. In combination with calcium, they said, it achieved very high success rates in treating vitiligo.

<snip>

Read more: http://m.upi.com/story/UPI-46241367635986/

[dipsydoodle]

1. They used to say

that men would go either grey and look distinguished or bald and stay virile.

'nuff said.

[harmonicon]

19. When was that said, and can we get people to start saying it a lot now?

I think it would probably help my romantic prospects.

[dipsydoodle]

22. Definately goes back to Annie Hall -1977.

Not sure if that was original or the saying preceded that.

Meanwhile, back at ranch, the subject has reminded me of this which I knew the words to c. late fifties.

[harmonicon]

23. Well, that goes along with my life being like that of a desperate Woody Allen character at least. nt

[1monster]

48. Perhaps, but premature gray or white hair is an indicator of cardio-vascular problems.

Those who go gray early should check with a cardiologist...

[dkf]

2. How do I get this?

[dipsydoodle]

3. Whilst on the other hand

£285 cream that claims to reverse baldness by waking up dormant follicles on the scalp.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2319137/285-cream-claims-reverse-baldness-waking-dormant-follicles-scalp.html#ixzz2SJONPAyc

Yes I've got silly tattooed across my forehead. For £285 mine can stay asleep.

[Victor_c3]

5. I'm with you on that one

I'm not bald, but I totally understand.

Older people always look freaky with unnaturally non-grey hair. Your face says one thing about your age then your hair says another. It just looks weird.

[Freddie]

11. More so on men IMO

We're used to seeing women of "a certain age" with colored hair, on men it still looks unnatural unless done right (leave some gray like Romney did).

[winter is coming]

64. I wonder about that treatment. What if you wake up your follices and they're pissed off?

There you are, with an enemy on your scalp, just waiting for you to fall asleep.

[JI7]

4. i have some hairs that look like they were going white but the root is dark

does anyone know if that happens .

i think it could also be the hair is just burned so turned lighter from sun, heat etc.

[dipsydoodle]

6. "turned lighter from sun"

sounds more like it. Three weeks at a time in Cuba always bleaches my arms, legs and what hair I've got left on my bonce back to blond.

[bananas]

9. white vs blonde

Blonde is way better than white.
White also tends to be less resilient, less springy and stretchy.

[RILib]

46. on the contrary

my hair became extremely healthy once I let it go white.

[Nikia]

55. My white hairs seem unhealthy too

They are thinner than my pigmented hairs and weak.

[Harriety]

7. I love gray hair. I think it looks really sexy on people. I hope mine turns gray soon.

I don't see why people want to cover it up, but yeah it makes peoples features look softer and I've noticed that people look waaaay better with gray hair. Want sum of that....

[bananas]

12. I love you!

Thanks!

[Bluenorthwest]

16. Like any color, the way it looks with have to do with one's complexion and eye color as well as

the shade of gray in question. If you want it now, you can most certainly turn your hair any color you wish, if you really think it is sexy why wait?

[fitman]

8. My wife is 51 and does not dye her hair BUT

she has some graying in her dark brown hair but it looks sexy to me-almost looks highlighted. She has a modern hairstyle cut which really helps.

I don't know why I like what gray she has..looks like "experience" and not afraid of growing older.

Now if it was all granny gray at age 51 ..get out the dye!!!

I'm 51 also and have blonde hair and no grays whatsoever.

[enough]

10. Another "treatment" for a natural aging process.

At 68, I love my white hair, and get compliments on it.

[DavidDvorkin]

32. A lot of things used to part of the "natural aging process"

But fortunately medical science discovered ways to treat them.

[beveeheart]

35. Me too!

[Skittles]

49. I see plenty of gals who look amazing with white or gray hair

it's more how you style your hair and carry yourself than the color, I think

[high density]

54. My mom's hair went gray at age 30

and has now been dying her hair for three decades. IMO, gray hair at 30 is not "natural," though I do think she's quickly reaching the point where she should just let it go.

[Nikia]

56. I got my first white haris at 24

At 35, I have enough of them that I am thinking of dyeing my hair for the first time.

[Nye Bevan]

13. And if you order one bottle today, we will send you a second one free of charge..... (nt)

[rurallib]

14. for the next ten minutes. Operators are standing by. Have your credit card ready.....

[FailureToCommunicate]

15. Wha...?

[Itchinjim]

17. I found my first gray hair when I was 18.

Right about the same time I started balding. I'm 53 now and what hair I have left is completely white. Both myself and my parents were "Black Irish" and mom and dad were graying in their early thirties, must be genes I guess. I'm not particularly vain so my baldness/graying has never really bothered me, and I wouldn't want to be around anybody who would have an issue with it

[ileus]

18. Finally a medical breakthrough worth it weight in gold.

[Lugnut]

20. I like my gray hair.

Go figure.

[TwilightGardener]

21. Oh boy! I've been fighting a losing battle for some time now with the gray.

I'd give it a try if it doesn't cause cancer or make my hair fall out.

[paleotn]

24. I wish these researchers...

would spend their time, effort and research $'s on finding cures for REAL diseases, not narcissistic bull crap. Last I checked, gray hair doesn't cause horrible misery and premature death. As usual, it's always about the money, not improving the human condition. There's big bucks in wrinkles, gray hair, baldness, etc, etc. Vastly more money for Pfizer in viagra than some new, revolutionary antibiotic. We may be slowly dying from an antibiotic resistant infection, but our equipment works great and our hair looks marvelous!

Sorry to soap box like this, but I truly hate this sh__!

[Gormy Cuss]

25. Vitiligo isn't serious enough?

Their study also showed the same treatment works for the skin condition, vitiligo.

It sounds like the gray hair finding was a happy accident rather than the goal of the drug research.

[Ezlivin]

33. Yes!

As a vitiligo "sufferer" I can say that a cure is great, fabulous, wonderful news.

While this is not a cure it's a terrific step in the right direction.

[Posteritatis]

29. Sounds like you're unclear on how basic research works. (nt)

[La Lioness Priyanka]

40. +1

[cynannmarie]

36. vitiligo can be a seriously disfiguring and stigmatizing condition for many millions

My son has had vitiligo since age 8 and suffered a lot of teasing and distressing comments over the years, especially difficult for a young child and teenager. And his case is somewhat moderate--although most of the affected areas are on his face and hands, and includes a white eyelash and some head hair--highly noticeable in contrast to his otherwise almost black hair. Fortunately, his skin color is quite fair which makes the lack of pigment in the affected skin areas not as obvious as it would be if his skin was darker. However, for people with darker skin tones and/or more extensive affected areas, this condition can be extremely disfiguring and traumatic. And so far there has been almost nothing in the way of an effective treatment or cure. Therefore this is a very welcome development for many, many vitiligo sufferers--40 to 50 million world wide. Because vitiligo is not a life threatening condition, it has never received the research funding of other many other diseases, so it is great that new developments are finally being discovered.

[tblue]

50. There are laser treatments for that.

Very expensive but might be worth it. My derm told me about it. She specializes in pigment disorders. I don't have vitiligo but I have other issues and I will only go to a dermatologist who understands pigment. I am sending hugs to you and your son, who I am sure has been told he is beautiful by the people who matter. If people tease him, they better hope I'm not around because I turn real ugly when innocents are injured.

[cynannmarie]

51. thanks tblue--he is well adjusted to it now, but it wasn't always that way

My son is now 24 and takes it pretty much in stride these days, although he often still gets questions and comments--people are usually ignorant of vitiligo and can be innocently curious, especially children. And since his job involves working with kids, they are bound to ask. One of his coping mechanisms is to answer people who ask "what happened to you?" by telling them that he was struck by lightening. Amazingly, many actually believe it--and he gets a great kick out of that (before cluing them in after awhile).
His condition is stable currently with no further spread, but there is no guarantee that it won't start up again at any time. I am sure that if it worsened, he would be distressed about it, so it's of interest to know about potential treatments.
I do think it has helped shape his character, though. He is an exceptionally empathetic and compassionate person, studying to be a nurse. Because of his awareness of this condition, he is keenly observant of others with it, and after seeing people with much worse cases, feels fortunate that his isn't as bad.

[u4ic]

52. It's not just cosmetic

People with vitiligo are at an increased risk of skin cancer. Vitiligo sufferers don't have melanin in those white spots, and melanin is protective.

[Nikia]

58. One of my former coworkers had it

And although she was white, her condition became very apparent if she got any sun exposure since the rest of her skin would tan. She did end up spray tanning which helped cover up those patches.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

39. and what kind of research do you do?

[LisaL]

44. Excuse me. Grey hair is something that affects a huge number of people.

[asjr]

26. And all this time I thought it was

Nice & Easy by Clairol.

[RebelOne]

34. That is my solution.

As long as Clariol is in business, I will never be gray.

[DiverDave]

27. Where do I sign up?

I started going grey when I was 22.
100% by my 40's.

I hate this hair color and am too lazy to dye it.

I am very interested.
I'm not a vain person, but to get the grey out?
You bet.

[Mike Nelson]

28. People will go gray...

...waiting for this to be approved by the FDA.

[BarbaRosa]

30. I've always said,

A gray hair IS a hair.

[pengillian101]

68. Ha!

"A gray hair IS a hair."

[Sunlei]

31. Oxidative stress, very interesting and how thats connected to many things like ALS, Alzheimer's..

Here's a link read about it if you wish. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxidative_stress


now we can see what "modified' 'pseudo' 'catalase' they use and maybe some clever person can cure some of the bigger things in life. probably be a trade secret for decades.

[On the Road]

37. My Mother is 80 Years Old

I just found out she does NOT color her hair. It is still dark brown -- her hair simply never turned gray. I wish I knew how she was able to manage that.

[MoreGOPoop]

38. 57 and proudly rockin'

waist-length, salt & pepper Freak Flag!

[La Lioness Priyanka]

41. nice. i hope this hits the market before i start really graying

[olddots]

42. I do enough drugs that my hair glows

[LisaL]

43. If it works, they will be very rich.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

45. Great. Now all I need is hair.

.

[Veruca Salt]

47. In my 30s and need this

Stat! I'd pay so much for the cure to grey hair!

[SummerSnow]

53. I have a white eyelash :(

[Supply Side Jesus]

57. Where was this when I started to graying in high school!!

20 years later...better late than never I suppose

[Nikia]

59. I'd buy this for sure

I started getting white hairs at 24. Now at 35, it is getting significant enough for me to consider hair dye, which, unlike many women, I have never used.

[Ter]

60. A lot of likes on grey hair, so Ill be the first to say it:

I despise gray hair on relatively young people. I dye my hair because I want to keep my boyish good looks, and I only have a few grays on the sides. Sorry, aging is not for me.

[olddad56]

61. aging is not for cowards.

[olddad56]

62. treatment for gray hair, as if it is a terminal illness. Gray hair ain't gonna kill you.

I suppose I'd be considered fortunate because for my age (65 this year), I have relatively little gray hair. Maybe it is because I don't care one way or the other. I have other signs of aging that concern me much more. Like a hip that needs a replacement. I guess for some people, how you look is more important that how you feel.

[union_maid]

63. Not giving up my grays

I get treated with much more consideration and respect in interactions with strangers than did when I was middle-aged but still brunette. Just the other day a cop didn't give a ticket when could have. I'm sure the gray hair helped. It might be nice to actually be young again - in some ways, but since that's not an option I'm enjoying being gray.

[Myrina]

66. It's called: A million dollars in your bank, a hammock on the beach & a margarita.

Get thee the hell out of the capitalist worker eat-or-be-eaten system.

Oh, and change your genetic makeup, if you can.

[nolabels]

67. There goes my "Just for Men" stock options