Why does our hair turn grey as we get older?

About this episode

Discovering your first grey hair can be quite the shock. After all, it marks the onset of an irreversible change. And the fact that it’s a natural process is often of little consolation.  The culprits, if you want to think about it like that, behind our hair turning grey are the melanocytes contained in each of our hair follicles. These cells contain melanin, which is the natural pigment responsible for our hair colour, whether that be brown, blonde, black or ginger.  Are you saying that pulling out single grey hairs is pointless then? Why do some people get their first grey hair at 50 while for others it happens as early as 20? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: Why do mouth sounds drive some people crazy? Why does Ramadan start on a different date each year? How can I move house stress-free? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. In partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices