LONDON: A cure for
grey hair that will allow millions to throw away their hair dyes could soon be
available, researchers say.
They found people who
are going grey develop "massive oxidative stress" via accumulation of
hydrogen peroxide in the hair follicle, which causes hair to bleach itself from
the inside out.
The journal for
biological research, FASEB Journal, reported that the research team,
which included experts from Bradford University's School of Life Sciences, had
discovered the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide could be remedied with a
proprietary treatment.
The researchers, who
made their discovery after studying an international group of 2411 patients,
described the treatment as "a topical, UVB-activated compound called
PC-KUS [a modified pseudocatalase]", the journal said.
Adverse
The treatment can
also be used for people with the skin condition vitiligo, which causes a loss
of pigmentation.
Study author Karin
Schallreuter, a specialist in vitiligo, said: "The sudden loss of the
inherited skin and localised hair colour can affect those individuals in many
fundamental ways. The improvement of quality of life after total and even
partial successful re-pigmentation has been documented."
FASEB Journal
editor-in-chief Gerald Weissman said: "For generations, numerous remedies
have been concocted to hide grey hair but now, for the first time, an actual
treatment that gets to the root of the problem has been developed.
"While this is
exciting news, what's even more exciting is that this also works for vitiligo.
"This condition,
while technically cosmetic, can have serious socio-emotional effects of people.
"Developing an
effective treatment for this condition has the potential to radically improve
many people's lives."
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