Key Symptoms Linked To Werner Syndrome

Premature Gray Hair

There are specific cells that give an individual's hair color through the production of pigment or melanin. An individual who has Werner syndrome is known to age much quicker than healthy individuals due to the genetic mutation in their cells that causes them to be unable to repair damage to cellular DNA. This malfunction means the cells that produce melanin that give the hair its color begin to die off much quicker in Werner syndrome patients than they do in appropriately aging individuals. 

These pigment-producing cells that become damaged cannot be repaired or replaced in affected individuals, leading to the early onset of hair with little or no pigment in it. Hair with a lack of melanin will turn grey at first, and will progressively lighten to white. Premature gray hair can also be the result of thyroid problems and nutritional deficiencies that can also occur in individuals affected by Werner syndrome.