• Question: why does your hair go grey when you get older?

    Asked by evilbugs to Alex, Kate, Marcus on 26 Jun 2014.
    • Photo: Marcus Johns

      Marcus Johns answered on 26 Jun 2014:

      As we get older, the cells that produce the colour of our hair in the places that our hair grows from, known as hair follicles, gradually die and don’t get replaced. As the number of these cells in a hair follicle decrease, that strand of hair will become a more transparent colour — like grey, silver, or white — as it grows.

    • Photo: Alex Lyness

      Alex Lyness answered on 27 Jun 2014:

      Hey evilbugs,

      Another great question!

      Marcus have given a good answer which can also be seen (with a bit more detail) here: http://kidshealth.org/kid/grownup/getting_older/gray_hair.html

      Hope that helps 😉

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