Restoring The Color Of Aging Hair

Developmentally, initially hair is white. The naturalself-maintenance of melanocyte stem cells.
color of hair derives from a type of pigmentAs the hair is being formed, melanocytes inject
called melanin that begins to form before birth.pigment (melanin) into cells containing keratin.
The natural color of our hair depends upon theKeratin is the protein that makes up our hair, skin,
distribution, type, and amount of melanin in theand nails. Throughout the years, melanocyctes
middle layer of the hair shaft or cortex.continue to inject pigment into the hair’s
Hair has two types of pigments: dark (eumelanin)keratin, giving it a colorful hue.
and light (phaeomelanin). They blend together toWith age comes a reduction of melanin. The hair
make up the wide range of hair colors.turns gray and eventually white.
Pigmentation is under complex genetic controlThe hair follicle has a “melanogentic clock”
regulated by more than 150 alleles representingwhich slows down or stops melanocyte activity,
more than 90 gene loci,  with tyrosinase activitythus decreasing the pigment our hair receives.
the rate-limiting step among theThis occurs just before the hair is preparing to fall
melanogenesis-related enzymes. The biosynthesisout or shed, so the roots always look pale.
of melanin and its subsequent transfer fromHair turns gray because of age and genetics, in
melanocyte to hair bulb keratinocytes depend onthat genes regulate the exhaustion of the
the availability of melanin precursors and on apigmentary potential of each individual hair follicle.
multitude of signal transduction pathways that areThis occurs at different rates in different hair
both highly complex and commonly redundant.follicles. For some people it occurs rapidly, while in
These signalling pathways can be both dependentothers it occurs slowly over several decades.
and independent of receptors, act through auto-,Recent studies show that a failure of melanocyte
para- or intracrine mechanisms,  and can bestem cells (MSC) to maintain the production of
modified by hormonal signals. Despite manymelanocytes cause the graying of hair. The MSC
shared features, follicular melanocytes appear toreside in the hair follicle and release a multitude of
be more sensitive than epidermal melanocytes tofactors that that produce and process the
aging influences. This can be seen mostpigments of the hair. Failure of MSC maintenance
dramatically in hair greying and this is likely toresults in the breakdown of signals that produce
reflect significant differences in the epidermal andhair color. Dysfunction of the MSC is due to both
follicular microenvironments. The hair follicleintrinsic factors (age, genetic defects, hormones)
pigmentary unit may also serve as an importantand extrinsic factors (climate, pollutants, toxins,
environmental sensor, whereby hair pigmentchemicals, sun damage).
contributes to the rapid excretion of heavyA & G Hair Complex is a combination of
metals, chemicals and toxins from the body byfactors derived from stem cells that mimic what
their selective binding to melanin; rendering the hairthe MSC produce. Thus topical application of A
fiber a useful barometer of exposures.& G Hair Complex to the scalp reconditions
Melanin is made up of specialized pigment cellsthe hair follicle so that all factors required for
called melanocytes. They position themselves atpigmentation of the hair are restored. With the
the openings on the skin’s surface throughrestoration of the factors to the hair follicle,
which hair grows (follicles). Each hair grows from anormal pigmentation of the hair is restored.
single follicle. Hair graying is caused by defective