576 | id == 576
576 | category_id == 30
576 | category_order == 27
576 | category_name == Hair Loss
576 | category_color == #C47AC0
576 | slug == IRF4-gray-hair
576 | title == Is This Gene Responsible for Hair Going Gray? (IRF4)
576 | meta_description == IRF4 encodes a protein that regulates pigment production in hair. Is it responsible for premature hair graying?
576 | summary == <p><strong><em>IRF4 </em>encodes a protein that regulates pigment production in hair. Is it responsible for premature hair graying? Read on to learn more.</strong></p>
576 | overall_score_text == Your Hair Graying Score (based on IRF4)
576 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/IRF4-Hair-graying.jpg
576 | author_id == 1
576 | author_name == Jasmine Foster
576 | author_title == BSc, BEd
576 | author_order == 36
576 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Jasmine.jpg
576 | author_intro == <p><strong>Jasmine received her BS from McGill University and her BEd from Vancouver Island University.</strong></p>    <p>Jasmine loves helping people understand their brains and bodies, a passion that grew out of her dual background in biology and education. From the chem lab to the classroom, everyone has the right to learn and make informed decisions about their health.</p>
576 | reviewer == None
576 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
576 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
576 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
576 | publish_date == 2020
576 | publish_date == 12
576 | publish_date == 29
576 | avg_rating == 5.0
576 | tags_id == 1085
576 | tags_name == Hair Graying
576 | tags_id == 1029
576 | tags_name == Hair Loss
576 | tags_id == 24
576 | tags_name == Inflammation
576 | tags_id == 880
576 | tags_name == IRF4 Gene
576 | tags_id == 1053
576 | tags_name == Pigmentation
576 | tags_id == 1055
576 | tags_name == Tyrosinase
576 | permissions_favorite == False
576 | permissions_rate == False
576 | content_article == <h2><strong>Summary</strong></h2> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRF4</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> encodes interferon regulatory factor 4. Variants of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRF4</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> may play a role in hair graying by reducing the activity of the pigment-producing enzyme tyrosinase. Lifestyle, diet, and supplement modifications may counteract the effects of these variants by regulating IRF4 and supporting tyrosinase activity.</span></p> <h2><strong><em>IRF4</em></strong><strong> and Hair Graying</strong></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/irf4/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRF4</span></em></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">gene encodes interferon regulatory factor 4, one of the family of compounds that regulate the interferon response to viral infection [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/3662"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interferons are named for their ability to interfere with viral replication; they are one of the lines of defense our bodies have against viruses that we have never encountered before [</span><a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2018.03022/full"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRF4 has a complex mechanism with both pro- and anti-inflammatory effects. In various tissues, it promotes a </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/supplements-people-th2-dominant/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Th2 immune response</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and increases the production of </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/il-10/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">IL-10</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and IL-33 cytokines [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4003872/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRF4 activity is regulated by STAT3, a signalling protein that responds to inflammatory signals and controls the expression of genes involved in the growth, development, and activation of immune system cells [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6100297/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5050093/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2733795/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4628878/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4118716/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, in the eyes, skin, and hair, IRF4 may alter pigmentation. IRF4 deficiency in hair follicles has been suggested to promote the transformation of dark and thick hair into light and thin hair, thereby contributing to hair loss [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3873608/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5344973/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25631878/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This effect may be attributed to decreased tyrosinase activation. Tyrosinase is an enzyme that helps produce pigments such as melanin [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3873608/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRF4</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> variant has been strongly associated with hair graying [</span><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1006594"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms14694"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRF4 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">encodes an immune protein that can cause excessive cell death and reduced pigmentation production in the hair follicles when it isn&rsquo;t regulated properly.</span></span></p> <h2><strong>Your </strong><strong><em>IRF4</em></strong><strong> Results for Hair Graying</strong></h2> <p>*7960628940135694*</p> <p><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/irf4/"><strong>IRF4</strong></a> <a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs12203592/"><strong>rs12203592</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1006594"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms14694"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Not associated with hair graying</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Associated with earlier and more extensive graying of hair</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele may cause dysregulated IRF4, leading to decreased tyrosinase activation and reduced hair pigmentation [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6562814/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p>*3794085863218739*</p> <h2><strong>Recommendations for Improving Hair Growth</strong></h2> <p>*6519124086897321*</p> <h3><strong>Vitamin D</strong></h3> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/35proven-health-benefits-vitamin-d-part-1/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vitamin D</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> may directly regulate </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRF4 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">gene expression, according to a handful of cell studies [</span><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12272-016-0854-1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The interaction between vitamin D, its receptor, and IRF4 is highly complex and may be evolutionarily important. </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRF4 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">is one of the genes responsible for lighter hair, skin, and eye color in humans; it is also strongly linked to the sunlight sensitivity and tendency to develop freckles. The vitamin D receptor </span><a href="https://selfdecode.com/blog/article/vdr-longevity-85"><span style="font-weight: 400;">VDR</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> can also bind to a region of DNA that alters the expression of the IRF4 gene [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3873608/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3873608/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2746901/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6091939/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-05447-1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A study of 35 adolescents with premature gray hair found they had lower blood </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/35proven-health-benefits-vitamin-d-part-1/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">vitamin D</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> levels than healthy controls. Similarly, a study measured lower levels of this vitamin in the hair follicle roots of people with premature hair graying [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3746220/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32533882/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/avoiding-sun-will-kill-14-proven-science-based-health-benefits-sun/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sunlight</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is the most effective way to maintain normal vitamin D levels because by stimulating its production. However, research shows that gray hair is especially sensitive to damage by UV radiation. For this reason, it&rsquo;s important to protect it by covering it with a hat or scarf and using UV-protecting products [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11382847/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alternatively, you can eat vitamin D-rich foods such as fatty fish, </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/cod-liver-oil/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">cod liver oil</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, beef liver, egg yolks, cheese, and mushrooms, or take supplements. The daily recommended intake for vitamin D, according to the National Institutes of Health, is 20 mcg [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK56061/#ch3.s2"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Sunlight and IRF4 have a close relationship, in which vitamin D may directly decrease IRF4 gene expression. However, people with certain IRF4 variants may be more sensitive to skin damage from sunlight, and gray hair is sensitive to UV damage.</span></p> <h3><strong>Avoid Cigarettes</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cigarette smoke is believed to have a complex interaction with STAT3 that may lead to increased IRF4 and greater rates of cell death [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3787396/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6100297/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Five studies of over 8,000 people found that smokers have a roughly 2-fold higher risk of premature hair graying than non-smokers [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2359122/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22113716/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3673399/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4141451/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25484268/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Cigarette smoke may promote inflammatory damage by stimulating STAT3 and dysregulating IRF4.</span></p>
576 | content_snp_table_7960628940135694_key == 7960628940135694
576 | content_snp_table_7960628940135694_blur == True
576 | content_snp_table_7960628940135694_hidden == False
576 | content_learn_more_3794085863218739_key == 3794085863218739
576 | content_learn_more_3794085863218739_blur == True
576 | content_learn_more_3794085863218739_hidden == False
576 | content_learn_more_3794085863218739_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your IRF4 gene is somewhat associated with impaired pigment production. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk of hair graying; it’s just one gene related to it. Avoiding cigarettes and supplementing vitamin D may help. Keep scrolling to find out more.
576 | content_recommendation_6519124086897321_key == 6519124086897321
576 | content_recommendation_6519124086897321_blur == True
576 | content_recommendation_6519124086897321_hidden == False
rsIDs = rs12203592
rsStatus = rs12203592,IRF4,chr6,396321,C,G,T,,32,0,Normal
