MadSci Network: Genetics
Query:

Re: Chance of changing hair color?

Date: Fri Jun 4 16:24:37 1999
Posted By: Joshua McElwee, Grad student, Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Washington-Seattle
Area of science: Genetics
ID: 921904056.Ge
Message:

   Hair color is pretty much the same throughout your lifetime, and is 
dependent on the formation of pigments within your hair follicle (which 
are the cells in your scalp that make the hair.) Usually, hair color 
changes do not occur naturally in humans.  You do see hair color changes 
in some animals, depending on the season.  For instance, Some rabbits have 
a grey coat color during the summer, and when winter comes along, they 
lose their winter coat and grow a snow white winter coat.  
   In your case, the 3-7 red hairs you've found on your head are most 
likely naturally occuring there.  If you look very carefully at the hair 
on your head, you'll notice that there is a fairly wide variation in the 
color between single strands of hair.  This is because the cells that make 
each hair produce their pigments individually.  This leads to some small 
amount of variation in each hair strand.
  As we age, peoples hair gradually turns grey.  This again is the result 
of the loss of pigment production in the follicle cells, so that you start 
growing "uncolored" hair.
   All in all, it's pretty safe to assume that your hair is not going to 
turn completely red any time soon. ;)

-j


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