London: Stress really can make your hair go grey, scientists have found. As the pressure builds, the stem cells that replenish your hair color become damaged, leaving the tell-tale silver crown, a study has shown. But the very visible sign of aging appears to also have a beneficial effect reducing the risk of cancer, a leading expert has claimed.
When scientists from Kanazawa University in Japan studied the effects of radiation and other chemicals on the fur of mice, they found that their coats greyed early. This is because stem cells in their hair follicles were forced to mature, slashing the production of melanin into the chemical that gives color to the hair and skin.
