What Does Reduced Melanin Production Cause?

The answer is gray hair. Milady draws a precise line: gray hair results from a reduction in melanin production, while white hair is the color of keratin with no melanin present at all.

That's a meaningful distinction, not just wordplay — gray hair still contains some scattered melanin granules, which is why gray strands can vary in tone, while white hair contains none. This question tests reduced production specifically, which the book ties to gray, not to the complete absence described for white.

Source

Milady Standard Barbering, 6th ed., Ch. 18 (Haircoloring and Lightening), p. 644: "Gray hair is the result of a reduction in the production of melanin pigments. White hair is actually the color of keratin without melanin and therefore does not contain either type of melanin."

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More real Hair Science questions with sourced answers: What Color Pigment Is Missing From White Hair, What Hair Type Has a Raised Cuticle That Absorbs Chemicals, Which Hair Layer Gives Strength, Elasticity, and Color, Which Hair Texture Is More Resistant to Chemical Processes, and 28 more on the Hair Science practice questions page.

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