Click on image to view larger version.
Figure 1. Hypothetical scenario indicating the involvement of oxidative stress in the graying process. Melanocytes in pigmented anagen hair follicles in young and healthy subjects can deal with the endogenous oxidative stress caused by melanin-production. In the old and diseased subject, however, stressors induce alterations in pigment-producing and antioxidative enzymes and cofactors and the production of endogenous antioxidants and repair-enzymes as well as growth factors etc. decreases. This results in a breakdown of the hair follicle melanocyte redox-capacity and subsequent deleterious oxidative stress damage.
