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Have you ever thought about the difference in hair color between your siblings and your parents, or the difference between your current and past hair color? Yes, hair color may vary within one family and may change from time to time. So, if your hair color is different from that of your siblings or parents, it doesn't mean you aren't part of them. Don't get me wrong.
Several factors can affect your hair color.
Pigment
Hair color is influenced by pigments or chromophores, namely:
- Melanin, produced by melanosomes, is found in melanocyte cells. These are the main factors that can determine your skin and hair color.
- Hemoglobin or red blood cells in superficial blood vessels
- Foods that contain carotenoids, such as carrots, to a lesser extent
There are two forms of melanin that can determine your hair color, namely:
- Eumelanin, is a brown or black pigment
- Pheomelanin, is a red or yellow pigment
How much pigment is present in your hair, how much eumelanin and pheomelanin are in your hair, and how closely the melanin (pigment) granules are present in your hair. The more eumelanin pigment in your hair, the darker your hair will be. Very high levels of pheomelanin in your hair will result in a red hair color. Absence or very little levels of eumelanin and pheomelanin pigments in the hair will result in white hair color.
Genetic
The amount of eumelanin in your hair is determined by the genes of your parents. In every gene, there is DNA which consists of alleles. One allele from your mother and one allele from your father. The two alleles can be the same or different, which will give your hair its color.
These two alleles carry the DNA sequence for your hair color. This process occurs randomly, so it could be that the hair color of you and your siblings from one mother-father can be different colors. The alleles that are passed on to children could also explain why parents who have the same hair color can have children with different hair colors. This could happen because the two alleles passed to the child have a recessive gene, not a dominant one. However, if one of the alleles carries the dominant gene, the hair color of the dominant gene will appear more.
Environment
Apart from your genes and their effect on the amount and type of melanin pigment your body produces, hair color is also influenced by your environment. The environment can affect your hair color in two ways, namely by chemical reactions and by physical reactions.
Chemical reaction
This chemical reaction can occur by itself due to exposure to the environment around us. Melanin pigments can change due to reactions with acids and bases from the environment. Reactions with acids or bases can occur due to exposure of the hair to air, water, or detergents in the shampoo. The reaction of melanin with acids darkens the hair color, while the reaction with alkalis can lighten the color.
In addition, sunlight can directly affect hair color. Ultraviolet rays that come from sunlight can reduce the amount of melanin pigment and can whiten hair fibers. So if you are outdoors a lot and exposed to the sun, your hair will change color over time. For example, if you have dark and dark brown hair, it could change to a light brown color.
Physical reaction
Hair color can also change as a result of physical reactions or hair damage. Healthy hair fibers or cuticles (outer layer of hair) have a fairly fine texture and give hair a good color. Meanwhile, damaged cuticles make the hair texture coarser and scaly. These damaged cuticles are usually caused by too much sun exposure on the hair. Too much exposure to the sun can also make your hair look lighter than it really is, and your hair can look drier and duller.
Physical reactions that cause hair discoloration also usually occur in hair that is often subjected to chemical processes or physical actions at the salon, such as hair that is often exposed to harsh detergents, hair that is often washed harshly, and others. Rinsing your hair with salt water can also change the color of your hair. The chemicals in the salt can interact with hair pigments and can also affect the physical properties of the hair fibers.
Changes in hair color due to environmental factors can vary between individuals. Some people can be more vulnerable to the environment, while some are not. This can be influenced by hormones and genetics. So, some people may be able to wash their hair with a shampoo that contains strong detergents, while others are more sensitive to the detergents in the shampoo, which affects their hair color.
