The gray hair gene

Those of us blonds tend to go silver, though, don't we?

People usually attribute graying hair to the effects of aging and stress—think of all those before-and-after photos of U.S. presidents—but a new study shows that we can also blame our DNA: Researchers at University College London have pinpointed a gray hair gene, suggesting that some people are born with an inherited tendency to go gray before their time. The team analyzed the hair types and genomes of more than 6,000 people of mixed ethnic ancestry from five Latin American countries to find the gene, which is known as IRF4 and is carried by about 15 percent of Europeans. Also linked to blond hair, IRF4 regulates the production and storage of melanin—the pigment that gives eyes, skin, and hair their color. “We already know several genes involved in balding and hair color, but this is the first time a gene for graying has been identified in humans,” lead author Kaustubh Adhikari tells TechTimes.com. The researchers estimate the gene is responsible for about 30 percent of graying. More research into how IRF4 works could lead to treatments that help delay or reverse this process. “Standard hair products are applied after your hair has been created,” Adhikari says, “but targeting the hair as it is being produced could result in greater consistency of color, or longer-lasting effects.”

Taken from the March 18, 2016 edition of The Week Magazine.