Summary
The color of hair is determined by the amount and type of pigment called melanin present in the hair follicles. Melanin is produced by specialized cells called melanocytes that transfer melanin via organelles called melanosomes to the keratinocytes that form growing hair. There are two types of melanin: eumelanin and pheomelanin. Eumelanin is responsible for black or brown hair, while pheomelanin is responsible for red hair. The ratio of these two pigments in a hair strand determines the tone of the hair.
Gray hair is a natural phenomenon that occurs when the hair follicles stop producing melanin and existing melanin is more prone to oxidation. As we age, this decreased overall content of melanin available to give growing hair its color leads to the appearance of gray hair. The age at which grey hair appears varies between different demographics. Much of the greying process is genetically programmed, however there are also external and internal factors, like stress, that can contribute to hair greying.
In the last 15 years there has been an acceleration of studies focused on understanding the biological mechanism of the hair greying process and what factors contribute to it. Recent insights have also delivered opportunities to investigate ways to combat hair greying. A full overview of the hair pigmentation and greying process will be presented, as well as how internal and external factors can modulate it, and finally various approaches developed to control hair greying will be discussed.
Speaker Bio
Sophia Bull, Marketing Manager - North America – Lucas Meyer Cosmetics
Sophia Bull joined Lucas Meyer Cosmetics as the Regional Marketing Manager for North America in 2019. In this role she supports customers and delivers regionalized promotions and launches. She is based in New York City and has over a decade of experience in the personal care industry spanning both the technical and commercial sides. After several years working in pharmaceutical regulatory for AstraZeneca Sophia began her career in the personal care industry as regulatory support for Croda, building on her technical background. Roles in marketing and sales followed at Croda and then at Botaneco. She has spoken at several SCC conferences including Suppliers’ Day and Naturally Kiawah. Sophia obtained her master’s degree in chemistry from the University of Leeds.