Abnormal
increased hair pigmentation
Those people with light brown, red, or blonde hair probably noticed
their hair color darkened by a few shades as they went through puberty.
This is quite typical and is due to an increase in melanocyte pigment
producing cell activity in response to the increased hormone levels.
The change in hair color is apparently more significant on girls
than boys perhaps suggesting that estrogens or progesterones have
a more significant impact on pigment production. The key enzyme
that helps produce melanin pigment, tyrosinase, is known to become
more active as we get older. It is most active in middle age. The
hair darkening effect also occurs in dark brown and black haired
people too but because their hair is already highly pigmented a
further increase in pigment production after puberty is much less
noticeable.
Occasionally, some adults find that their hair color increases
with age rather than the norm of progressive gray hair development.
In some cases this can be related to the use of certain drugs. Cyclosporin,
arsenic, levodopa or caridopa, bleomycin, daunorubicin and several
chemotherapy drugs are known to increase hair pigmentation in some
people. Several incidences of increases in hair pigmentation in
those affected with Parkinson's disease treated with dopamine related
drugs have been reported. Various inflammatory skin diseases may
also promote increased melanocyte activity within the inflamed area.
A few people who develop alopecia areata and then have spontaneous
regrowth sometimes regrow hair that is darker in color than it was
before the alopecia areata. One of the most common disorders of
skin hyperpigmentation is melasma. Occasionally this can also present
with increased hair pigmentation too. This condition is predominantly
seen in women and pregnancy is a frequent trigger for onset.
There have also been reports of apparently spontaneous reversal
of gray hair and increases in hair color in the elderly as well
as the development of new baby teeth (teeth and hair are similar
structures). While these incidences have not been researched, it
seems that with extreme age the factors regulating age entirely
break down in some cells including melanocytes.
Abnormal
increased hair pigmentation references
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