hair color loss

i have dark hair and over the last few months i have been going blond i am 52 years old what could cause this

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

'A person's hair color may change over time due to the varying levels of melanin, and some hair can have follicles of more than one color.'

'A change in hair color typically occurs naturally as people age, usually turning their hair to gray and then white. More than 40 percent of Americans have some gray hair by age 40, but white hairs can appear as early as childhood. The age at which graying begins seems to be almost entirely based on genetics. Sometimes people are born with gray hair because they inherit the trait genetically. '

'Two genes appear to be responsible for the process of graying, Bcl2 and Bcl-w. The change in hair color is caused when melanin ceases to be produced in the hair root and new hairs grow in without pigment. The stem cells at the base of hair follicles are responsible for producing melanocytes, the cells that produce and store pigment in hair and skin. The death of the melanocyte stem cells causes the onset of graying.'

A 1996 British Medical Journal study conducted by J.G. Mosley, MD found that tobacco smoking may cause premature graying. Smokers were found to be four times more likely to begin graying prematurely, compared to nonsmokers in the study.

You could read up the following link -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_hair_color

Let us know if you need any further information.

Regards.