British and German scientists say they've identified the root cause of gray hair, a finding that may lead to new methods of treatment.
In experiments with hair and follicle cells, the researchers found that gray hair is caused by a large build-up of hydrogen peroxide due to wear and tear of hair follicles. This build-up blocks hair's natural pigment, BBC News reported.
"This discovery is a major breakthrough in the understanding of hair graying and opens up some novel ideas to combat this scenario. These are being followed up at the current time in our laboratory," said lead researcher Karin Schallreuter.
The study appears in The FASEB Journal, published by the Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology.