Stress-sensing in the human greying hair follicle: Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM) depletion in hair bulb melanocytes in canities-prone scalp.

Canities (or hair greying) is an age-linked loss of the natural pigment called melanin from hair. While the specific cause(s) underlying the loss of melanogenically-active melanocytes from the anagen hair bulbs of affected human scalp remains unclear, oxidative stress sensing appears to be a key factor involved. In this study, we examined the follicular melanin unit in variably pigmented follicles from the aging human scalp of healthy individuals (22-70 years).

How to help the skin cope with glycoxidation.

Background: Protein glycation refers to the spontaneous reaction of reducing sugars with proteins and the subsequent formation of stable advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Glycation is linked with oxidative stress, and this association is called "glycoxidation". Glycoxidation alters the protein structure and function and causes tissue aging, as seen in human skin.