Vitamin A, C and B12 are the most needed vitamins to increase the melanin production in your hair. Add citrus fruits like oranges, grapes, pineapple, and melon to your diet. Also eat vegetables like potatoes, carrots, beans, etc. Non vegetarians can try adding red meat, chicken liver, fish, and eggs to their diet.
The less melanin you have, the lighter your hair is. It is natural to lose melanin as you age, however, there are also a number of other reasons that might cause loss of melanin. However, it is not possible to restore your hair's natural colour if your greying is genetic and natural.
The production of melanin is regulated by α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH), which is produced from proopiomelanocortin (POMC). Keratinocytes release POMC along with lower levels of α-MSH and ACTH.
An abundance of one type of melanin, called eumelanin, gives people black or brown hair. An abundance of another pigment, called pheomelanin, gives people red hair. The type and amount of melanin in hair is determined by many genes, although little is known about most of them.
Foods to increase melanin in the hair
Copper-rich foods such as various kinds of nuts, mushrooms and meat liver also promote follicular melanin synthesis. Sources of vitamin A, C, and E including carrots, papaya, eggs, citrus fruits, sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts and pistachios can improve the health of your hair.
Boosting your intake of vitamin A is the number one way to restore melanin in the skin. Taking daily supplements or eating animal and plant-based foods that contain this source of nutrient can be great resources. Some animal-based foods include whole or skim milk, eggs, cheese, and beef.
To reduce the excessive melanin deposits in your skin, your diet needs to be rich in antioxidants. Include healthy fruits and vegetables such as oranges, berries, tangerines, papaya, limes, kiwi, guava, lemons, mangoes, grapes, spinach, carrots, beetroot, broccoli, etc. in your diet regularly.
As the hair is being formed, melanocytes inject pigment (melanin) into cells containing keratin. Keratin is the protein that makes up our hair, skin, and nails. Throughout the years, melanocyctes continue to inject pigment into the hair's keratin, giving it a colorful hue. With age comes a reduction of melanin.
Eating Antioxidant-Rich Foods
While there is limited research that certain foods can boost melanin production, antioxidant-rich foods are full of vitamins that can support healthy hair, skin, and eyes. Foods with high levels of antioxidants can help protect cells against free radical damage.
Vitamin D is known to enhance the rate of melanin synthesis; and this may concurrently regulate the expression of furin expression. In silico analyses have revealed that the intermediates of melanin are capable of binding strongly with the active site of furin protease.
The hair bulb is the only site of pigment production for the hair shaft; it contains highly melanogenic melanocytes and a minor sub-population of poorly differentiated pigment cells (Tobin and Bystryn, 1996).
However, the rate of hair colour loss is largely determined by your genes. The chances are that you will experience premature greying if your parents do. However, certain nutritional deficiencies and underlying medical conditions may play a role. In these cases, yes, white hair can turn black again.
Melaniq is a supplement for hair pigmentation, designed to support a body's ability to produce melanin, the natural pigment that gives hair its color. It contains copper, the essential mineral for the synthesis of melanin.
Your skin cells will start to make melanin again as your affected areas heal. Hypopigmentation will usually go away after a few weeks or months. If you have pityriasis alba, psoriasis or eczema, hypopigmentation usually goes away on its own without treatment. It may take a few weeks or months.
Sunbathing — if you must do it — should be limited to every other day, a new study suggests. You'll get darker and prevent some skin damage. That's because skin makes the protective pigment melanin only every 48 hours, researchers report October 25 in Molecular Cell.
Vitamin C is a naturally occurring substance and an essential nutrient. It has various biological and pharmaceutical functions. It inhibits melanin synthesis through downregulation of tyrosinase enzyme activity.
Lactobacillus helveticus-Fermented Milk Whey Suppresses Melanin Production by Inhibiting Tyrosinase through Decreasing MITF Expression - PMC.
UV-A rays from the sunlight penetrate into the lower layers of the epidermis and trigger the melanocytes to produce more melanin. Melanin is produced as a defence mechanism. Sunlight is the major cause of increased melanin production. Other factors include hormonal imbalances, aging and inflammation processes.