Going grey, already? Experts say it might be a silent shield against melanoma |
New Delhi: One of the most hallmark signs of ageing is going grey – when your dark-coloured locks turn grey, it leaves many distressed about the transition. However, research suggests that this basic biological process of ageing could have an unexpected upside, a lower risk of melanoma, which is the deadliest form of skin cancer. Japanese scientists, too, uncovered evidence that the gradual loss of melanocyte stem cells, which produce pigment in hair, can also act as a natural defence mechanism against melanoma. These stem cells reside in hair follicles and generate melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells that determine hair and skin colour. When their numbers decline, hair turns grey — but the same process may limit the body’s capacity to develop malignant pigment-producing tumours.
The findings come........