Greying hair could be your body’s way of offering cancer protection

Found another grey strand? There may be a silver lining—pun fully intended. According to a 2025 study from the University of Tokyo published in Nature Cell Biology, there appears to be a surprising link between greying hair and cancer protection.

Researchers found that the same pigment-producing stem cells responsible for hair colour can sometimes “self-eliminate” or shut down when they are damaged in certain ways. When this happens, the cells stop dividing instead of continuing to replicate faulty DNA—potentially reducing the risk of harmful mutations spreading.

The trade-off? As these pigment-producing cells are gradually lost over time, fewer remain to maintain hair colour, which can lead to greying.

How greying hair is linked to cancer protection

The study, conducted on melanocyte stem cells (pigment-producing cells) in mice, showed that these cells only self-eliminate when they experience severe DNA damage. However, when exposed to other stressors such as UV light or cancer-causing chemicals, they do not shut down. Instead, they continue to survive, which can allow damage to accumulate over time and may increase cancer risk.

The researchers suggest that better understanding this process in stem cells could one day help scientists identify and remove high-risk cells before they turn cancerous.