Why Going Gray Might Be Your Body’s Way of Fighting Cancer

Japanese researchers find that going gray may protect against melanoma. 

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Going gray may not just be a badge of age—it may also be a sign that your body has eliminated potentially cancerous cells, according to recent research.

A study from the University of Tokyo using mice has uncovered how hair follicle stem cells respond to DNA damage—and the findings suggest that going gray and developing melanoma may be two divergent outcomes of the same cellular stress.

The 2-Path Response

Researchers focused on pigment-producing stem cells called melanocyte stem cells, which determine whether your hair retains its color or turns gray.