Overview
Hair color is caused by a pigment (melanin) that is produced by the hair follicle. With aging, the follicle produces less melanin.
Review Date 7/19/2020
Updated by: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.