Why does my hair change color as I get older?

Have a medical-related question you’ve always wanted answered? The doctors at Madison Health are here to help! Email your ‘Ask the Doctor’ questions to news@eastidahonews.com and they might end up in our weekly column.

QUESTION: Why does my hair change color as I get older?

ANSWER: How many kids have you known who’ve started out with lighter hair – blond, or light brunette, or lighter brown for children of color – only to watch their hair turn darker as they’ve grown older?

According to science, this phenomenon is due to the body’s production of melanin, which is a natural pigment responsible for the colors of things like our eyes, our skin, and our hair. In fact, each individual hair follicle has cells, located at the bottom, called melanocytes, which, based on your genes, control how much melanin is produced, and, therefore, how dark your hair is.

Often, when someone hits puberty, his or her changing hormones tweak the output of these melanocytes, increasing the melanin and thereby darkening the hair. Decades after that, his or her melanocyte cells start to degrade, pumping out much less melanin, turning the hair grey, or even white.

Just like with prior changes in your hair color, these later-stage changes are driven by your genetic makeup. Your hair color, and the timing of its changes, are likely to be closely synced to those of your parents and/or siblings.