Gucci s Impact On The Fashion Industry - 1882 Words

Gucci happens to be one of the most sought after brands in the industry. The latter emanates from the fact that Gucci is classified as one of the most successful brands in the fashion industry, owing to the fact that its products are of top-notch quality (Bhasin). Being a household name for quite some time now, Gucci prides itself in having a huge customer base on the global scene especially after changing designers, a fact that contributes greatly to its increase in sales which translate to subsequent profits (Cartner-Morley; Bowles). While it can be arguably said that Gucci is a force to reckon with in the fashion scene, a lot of factors affect the operations of this company, both internally (micro) and externally (macro†¦show more content†¦In the same magazine, Gucci was listed as a very valuable fashion brand with estimate revenue of 12.7 Billion Dollars (Forbes). The two companies show a very spirited competition which is only demarcated by an estimated revenue differe nce of 5 billion dollars. This, then, means that with such high competition in the industry, Gucci can never, at any one time, sit pretty thinking that it runs the fashion scene – far from it – other worthy brands are selling out there – they have the ability to supersede Gucci in the short and long run. Potential of new entrants into the industry It indeed goes without saying that there already exist plenty of fashion companies and houses in the prevailing fashion industry (Pratap). What this says is that the industry allows for free and unrestrained entry into the market. Conversely, the potential of the likelihood of these new entrants to be worthy adversaries and competitors in the industry (Pratap). New entrants, as Pratap postulates, have mountains to move before they can be afforded a front row seat in the industry. Pratap however appreciates that the creativity of new entrants in the market could see these new entrants offer worthy competition to the already existing fashion companies. In addition, Pratap advances that resources are major constraints to these new entrants as they often have to make plenty of investments. This is at the wake of plenty of bills to pay which include theShow MoreRelatedAdvertising Standards Authority ( Asa )1391 Words   |  6 PagesAdvertisemen t is the one way persuasive communication with a purpose to promote goods or services to potential customers. Advertisement is the backbone of commerce and industry and one of the richest industries of the world. Advertisement has acquired an unprecedented importance due to audiovisual means of information and entertainment. Due to this impact people became selective in this segment, now they prefer better, healthier and convenient style of living. Everything has its other side as well so not allRead MoreImpact Of Technology In Fashion921 Words   |  4 Pages Technological advancement in regards to Fashion As technology continues to progress fashion evolves right alongside. Before the invention of the tv the way to spread different styles and outfits was through sketches and designs. By this means it would take extended amounts of time to spread ideas of fashion from one place to another. The influence of technology on the fashion industry cannot be overlooked. Fashion is being rapidly offered to consumers at an amazingly fast rate. NowadaysRead MorePest Analysis of Gucci in Malaysia2856 Words   |  12 Pagesreport is to examine the external environment in Malaysia that affected Gucci, one of the Italian high fashion luxury brand. PEST analysis, competitive analysis and SWOT have been used by investigators to achieve the target. 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It operates through directly operated stores across the world and also the products are wholesaled throughRead MoreCase Study - Vertu, Gucci, Lv1832 Words   |  8 PagesExecutive summary Prestigious and Luxury brands such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Vertu represent the uppermost level and form of craftsmanship. They demand and hindercustomer loyalty that is not affected by trends. These brands set seasonal trends and are capable of generating consumers, wherever they are established. In luxury marketing, there is a delicate relationship between 4 factors that most strongly influence the purchase of the luxury consumer. They are the exclusiveness of the brandRead MoreThe World A More Eco Friendly Environment917 Words   |  4 Pagesin today, has made efforts to make the world a more eco-friendly environment. For the most part, different industries have made a push to better the ecosystem. The oil industry developed a â€Å"clean† fuel refinery, a design to eliminate or minimize solid waste. The automotive industry has promoted cars that are fueled by power instead of gas, to decrease pollution, and the manufacturing industry has gone green by developing new equipment that uses less energy. It is almost as if â€Å"going green† has becomeRead MoreHip Hop : A Revolution1155 Words   |  5 PagesSouth Bronx, hip hop music and its style penetrated America in the late 1980s after MTV began playing heavily on rotation rap videos and launched Yo! MTV Ra ps in 1988. Music videos were like a soundtrack that people needed a wardrobe to wear. B. Fashion is used to assimilate with peers. Hip Hop aficionados’ objective is to stand out in a crowd. Signature style is like a freestyle performance. It demonstrates an individual’s special skills. Hip-hop style is not a uniform but speaks to personal styleRead MoreHermes International Sca, Manufacture, And Marketing Of Luxury Products1729 Words   |  7 Pagessubcontracted production services. The company was founded by Thierry Hermà ©s in 1837 and is headquartered in Paris, France† 2) Marketing Environment: PESTEL Political: (Hermà ¨s, 2014) â€Å"At the end of September 2014, currency fluctuations represented a negative impact of â‚ ¬77 million on Hermes revenue.† Economical : According to Science Direct (2014) â€Å"luxury market growth is strictly correlated with GDP growth because the latter creates a middle class and fosters optimism.† Due to the pricing of Hermes productsRead MoreThe Concept Of Copying Designs1011 Words   |  5 Pagesand sought out the idea to thumbprint her designs. Coco Chanel s woolen suits were a mark for counterfeits. She saw copies as promotion and was cited saying, Fashion should slip out of your hands. The very idea of protecting the seasonal arts is childish. One should not bother to protect that which dies the minute it is born (Faking It). Counterfeiting is a trend that has infested corporations infinitely. 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Indian Railway Free Essays

Marketing Project On INDIAN RAILWAYS Submitted by: Dhruti Badami 11BSPHH010XXX Nikhil Goyal 11BSPHH01XXX ContentsPage Introduction Marketing Mix SWOT Analysis Market Segmentation Market Targeting Market Positioning The Way Forward INTRODUCTION Indian Railways is the nationalized railway company of India which owns and operates most of the country’s rail transport. It is the world’s second largest  employer behind Chinese army; has one of the largest and busiest rail networks in the world, an extensive network, which is spread over 60000 Route Kilometre, of which approximately 30 per cent is electrified. The Indian Railways have played an integrating role in the social and economic development of the country  , transporting over 18 million passengers and more than 2 million tonnes of freight daily, it is the world’s largest commercial or utility employer, with more than 1. We will write a custom essay sample on Indian Railway or any similar topic only for you Order Now 4 million employees. Besides its stated function of transporting men and goods across the length and breadth of the country, it also enhances the country’s economy. As the country is emerging as one of the rapidly growing economies in the world, the need for a well- organized transport infrastructure would become more vital. Although there have been other modes of transport available in the country, INDIAN RAILWAYS is still able to maintain its competitive position due to many advantages like geographical diversity, world’s largest networks, and above all its economical fares in delivering the services. Marketing Mix Product Railways offer three major types of services: 1) Freight Service 2) Passenger Service 3) Parcel Service Freight Service IR carries a huge variety of goods ranging from mineral ores, fertilizers and petrochemicals, agricultural produce, iron steel, multimodal traffic and others. Ports and major urban areas have their own dedicated freight lines and yards. Many important freight stops have dedicated platforms and independent lines. Indian Railways makes 70% of its revenues and most of its profits from the freight sector, and uses these profits to cross-subsidise the loss-making passenger sector. . Within the freight segment, bulk traffic accounts for nearly 95 per cent, of which more than 44 per cent is contributed by coal. Indian Railways also transports vehicles over long distances. Trucks that carry goods to a particular location are hauled back by trains saving the trucking company on unnecessary fuel expenses. Refrigerated vans are also available in many areas. The â€Å"Green Van† is a special type used to transport fresh food and vegetables. Recently Indian Railways introduced the special ‘Container Rajdhani’ or CONRAJ, for high priority freight. The highest speed notched up for a freight train is 120 kilometres per hour (75  mph) for a 5,500  metric tonne load. Under the Eleventh  Five Year Plan  of India (2007–2012), Ministry of Railways is constructing a new Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) covering about 2762 route km long. Passenger Service * Duronto Express These are the non-stop point to point rail services (except for operational stops) introduced for the first time in 2009. These trains connect the metros and major state capitals of India and are faster than Rajdhani Express. The Duronto services consists of classes of accommodation namely first AC, two-tier AC, three-tier AC, AC 3 Tier Economy, Sleeper Class, General Class. * Rajdhani Express These are all air-conditioned trains linking major cities to New Delhi. The Rajdhanis have high priority and are one of the fastest trains in India, travelling at about 140 km/h (87 mph). There are only a few stops on a Rajdhani route. * Shatabdi and Jan Shatabdi Express The Shatabdi trains are AC intercity seater-type trains for travel during day. Jan-Shatabdi trains consists of both AC and non-AC classes. * Garib Rath Fully air conditioned trains, designed for those who cannot afford to travel in the expensive Shatabti and Rajdhani Express. Garib Rath means â€Å"Chariot of the Poor†. The maximum speed is 130 km/h. * Superfast Mail/Express These are trains that have an average speed greater than 55 km/h (34 mph). Tickets for these trains have an additional super-fast surcharge. Mail/Express These are the most common kind of trains in India. They have more stops than their super-fast counterparts, but they stop only at relatively important intermediate stations. * Rajya Rani Express These are a series of express trains operated by Indian Railways to connect state capitals with other cities important for tourism, pilgrimage or business. * Passenger and Fast Pas senger These are slow trains that stop at most stations along the route and are the cheapest trains. The trains generally have unreserved seating accommodation but some night trains have sleeper and 3A compartments. Suburban trains These trains operate in urban areas, usually stop at all stations and have unreserved seating accommodation. * Special Tourist Trains Palace on Wheels, Deccan Odyssey, Heritage On Wheels, Golden Chariot, Darjeeling Toy Train Price Freight Traffic A number of steps have been taken in the recent years to augment the railway loading as well as the earning of the Railways. As a result of those steps, the Freight earning of the Railways increased from Rs. 36,287 crore in 2005-06 to Rs. 41,717 crore in 2006-07 (increase of 16 per cent) and the loading increased from 667. 0 MT in 2005-06 to 728. 41 MT in 2006-07 (increase of 9. 2 per cent). Continuing the process further, the Railways have taken many initiatives to increase the railways freight earnings such as discount up to 30 per cent has been permitted on traffic loaded in the notified Traditional Empty Flow Directions during both busy and lean seasons, along with special long term; lump sum rates and other concessions. Passenger Traffic Pricing process is very complex due to the presence of various types of trains, quotas, classes, and concessions. The Pricing strategy is based on keeping in mind the need the entire population of the country and is mainly based on the type of class as described below: * 1AThe First class AC: This is the most expensive class, where the fares are on par with airlines. Bedding is included with the fare in IR. This air conditioned coach is present only on popular routes between metropolitan cities and can carry 18 passengers. The coaches are carpeted, have sleeping accommodation and have privacy features like personal coupes. * 2AAC-Two tier: Air conditioned coaches with sleeping berths, ample leg room, curtains and individual reading lamps. Berths are usually arranged in two tiers in bays of six, four across the width of the coach then the gangway then two berths long ways, with curtains provided to give some privacy from those walking up and down. Bedding is included with the fare. A broad gauge coach can carry 48 passengers. * FCFirst class: Same as 1AC, without the air conditioning. This class is not very common. * 3AAC three tier: Air conditioned coaches with sleeping berths. Berths are usually arranged as in 2AC but with three tiers across the width and two long ways as before giving eight bays of eight. They are slightly less well appointed, usually no reading lights or curtained off gangways. Bedding is included with fare. It carries 64 passengers in broad gauge. * 3EAC three tier (Economy): Air conditioned coaches with sleeping berths, present in Garib Rath Trains. Berths are usually arranged as in 3AC but with three tiers across the width and three long ways. They are slightly less well appointed, usually no reading lights or curtained off gangways. Bedding is not included with fare. * CCAC chair car: An air-conditioned seater coach with a total of five seats in a row used for day travel between cities. ECExecutive class chair car: An air-conditioned seater coach with a total of four seats in a row used for day travel between cities. * SLSleeper class: The sleeper class is the most common coach, and usually ten or more coaches could be attached. These are regular sleeping coaches with three berths vertically stacked. In broad gauge, it carries 72 passengers per coach. Railways ha ve modified certain Sleeper Coaches on popular trains to accommodate 81 passengers in place of regular 72 passengers. This was done in order to facilitate benefits like clear the Passenger rush and simultaneously earn more revenue. But this has got lukewarm response with criticism from the travellers and railways have decided to remove them. * 2SSeater class: Same as AC Chair car, but with bench style seats and without the air-conditioning. * URUnreserved: The cheapest accommodation, the seats usually made up of pressed wood, but the cushioned seats have been rapidly replaced. Although entry into the compartment is guaranteed, a sitting seat is not guaranteed. Tickets issued are valid on any train on the same route if boarded within 24 hours of buying the ticket. These coaches are usually very crowded. Also higher prices are charged for Tatkal scheme and lower for senior citizens and children below 12 years of age. As a part of ongoing marketing strategy, a number of steps have been taken by Indian Railways such as reduction in fares, proliferation of ticketing facility, introduction of Passengers Incentive Schemes like Upgradation, Scheme for Frequent Travellers (SOFT), etc. Place Tickets can be booked through a variety of ways: * Book in Person at Stations * Computerized Reservation Centre * Online booking * SMS Travel Agents Promotion Since the Indian Railways is a monopoly, they do not spend much on promotional activities. Their major promotions include advertising in print media, usually newspapers and hoardings. They sponsor certain national events such as the recently held Commonwealth Games in Delhi and beam TV commercials during that period. Bibliography http://www. sustainable-sourcing. com/2009/06/29/nhs-procurements-10-carbon-chal lenge/ www. wikipedia. org http://indiabudg et. nic. in/es2001-02/chapt2002/chap98. pdf http ://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Indian Railways How to cite Indian Railway, Papers

Lenovo Case free essay sample

Hydroelectricity or hydroelectric power is the electricity obtained by harnessing the power of water flowing down from a high level. It is a timeless and renewable resource. Huge generators convert the potential energy of falling or fast moving water into electrical energy. The potential energy of the water is first converted into mechanical energy and then into electrical energy. Water, usually stored in dams, is led down through large pipes or tunnels to lower levels, and in the course of the fall, the water rotates turbines. The mechanical energy produced is converted to electricity by the generators connected to it. The structure that houses the turbines and generators is called the powerhouse. Transformers change the alternating current produced by the generators into current of very high voltage for easy transmission through long distances. Hydropower is one of the three principal sources of energy used to generate electricity, the other two being fossil fuels and nuclear fuels. Hydroelectricity has certain advantages over these other sources: it is continually renewable thanks to the recurring nature of the water cycle, and causes no pollution. Also, it is one of the cheapest sources of electrical energy. The Itaip Dam between Brazil and Paraguay, which is 190 metres high and generates more than 12,600 MW, is the largest hydropower dam in the world. (The 185-metre Three Gorges Dam, now being constructed in China on the upper Yangtze River, would take its place by 2009, producing 18,200 MW of power ). The Grand Coulee Dam, located near Spokane, Washington, is the largest hydropower dam in the United States, producing 6,480 MW. The Rogun Dam, in Russia, the tallest in the world, is 335 metres high. The Oroville dam, located in California, the tallest in the United States, is 235 metres high. Idukki dam in India is Asias first and largest archdam. Lenovo Case Study By vaibhavtaneJa PROJECT MANAGEMENT IMPROVES LENOVOS STRATEGY EXECUTION AND CORE COMPETITIVENESS l. Background In recent years, the personal computer (PC) industry has been developing by leaps and bounds. Global sales of PCs totaled 230 million units in 2006, representing a 9 percent increase over the previous year. Lenovo has a product line that includes everything from servers and storage devices to printers, printer supplies, projectors, digital products, computing accessories, computing services and mobile handsets, all n addition to its primary PC business, which made up 96 percent of the companys turnover as of the second quarter of 2007. Since its acquisition of IBMs Personal Computing Division in May 2005, Lenovo has been accelerating its business expansion into overseas markets. The company transferred its corporate headquarters from Beijing, China to Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Today, the group has branch offices in 66 countries around the globe. It conducts business in 166 countries and employs over 25,000 people worldwide. Lenovo is organized into four geographical units: Greater China, America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Within each unit there are functional departments that include production, transportation, supply chain management, marketing and sales. Sales outside of Greater China compromised 59 percent of the companys total turnover in the second quarter of 2007. II. Challenges Before 2004, multinational PC makers like Dell and HP were experiencing difficulties localizing their business in the Chinese market and thus did not pose a serious competitive threat to Lenovo. However, their operations began to have a major impact n Lenovo market share in 2004, particularly among key accounts†mandating better execution and core competitiveness in order to increase market share and improve business performance. Ill. Solutions In order to address these challenges, Lenovo proposed substantial changes to its business model and strategy in 2004, employing a project-focused approach to develop its corporate strategy. Specific steps taken were: Implementing project management as the tool for executing corporate strategy 1 . After confirming the companys overall corporate strategy, Lenovo set about referred to as strategic projects. Strategic projects differ from RD projects in that time and cost cannot be used as yardsticks for success. Such projects may be about expanding into new markets, solving underlying problems, enhancing organizational efficiency, integrating strategic resources or improving employee satisfaction or capabilities. In the past, some strategic planning had not been followed up on sufficiently but the application of strategic project management solved this problem; strategic projects began to actually be executed and generated results. 2. Lenovo also established a Project Management Office (PMO) to coordinate strategic projects. Beginning in 2004 and early 2005, Lenovo put in place the processes and the organizational structure for its PMO. It also formalized the relationships between strategic leaders and the PMO and budgeted resources for the office. Subsequently, all of Lenovos other departmental regulations needed to conform to PMO regulations, with detailed regulations being outlined by specific business departments. However, Lenovos PMO did not interfere with projects administratively; rather it offered training and established standardized procedures. Lenovo employees see the PMO as a kind of resource rather than an administrative facility. Designating a PMO as an administrative facility is one of several things that have doomed such offices in the past, but Lenovos office has thrived, winning the companys excellent team award. The company believes that certain conditions must exist in order to successfully utilize project management: First, a company must face a challenge (i. e. an external factor that demands it to do so); second, the office must be prioritized by the company leadership; third, the office must be led by a professional team in order to guarantee that company-specific systems are eveloped; and finally, it must conform with the companys organizational culture and be appreciated. Otherwise its hard to execute

Make your university time memorable

Make your university time memorable All of us will have had the conversation. The conversation with those a little further advanced in years than yourself, telling you to make the most of the carefree years of young adulthood. It may not seem so at the time, what with burying yourself under a mountain of books and attending lectures each day but, university is a time to that should be filled with laugher and enjoyment, as well as working towards your future vocation. Three years may seem like a long time, especially on that first orientation day, but the reality is that it's not. Before you know it you'll be thrust into the big wide world armed with a piece of paper. Gone will be the days of spending hours in the student bar, paying for your weekly food with coins from your pocket and trying not to fall asleep in lectures. This time should be cherished. Life at university isn't complicated. In fact it's very simple. The trick is to be as disciplined in your approach to your studies as possible whilst devoting the time to relaxing and enjoying yourself. With that being said a considerable amount of maturity is needed to make sure that you achieve the degree and look back on your time with fond memories. One of the key factors to success in university life is to understand that further education serves to prepare you for the workplace and to mould you into a responsible and productive person. Lecturer's aren't babysitters, nor is their role to hold your hand through a degree. University helps you identify and hone your goals, put the polish on an, almost fully developed, personality so you can face the world with confidence. Parents invest considerable faith, and in the majority of cases, finance not to mention trust in a university institution feeling that their children are in the right place for future success. Today, it's understood that students will sow their wild oats, but emotional intelligence is just as important as academic capability. For many, university provides the perfect stage for a young adult to blossom. Now, this hardly gives us licence to indulge the wildest innermost desires but when going for a job interview impressions count. A confident and well-rounded person is far more likely to be awarded a position than a shrinking violet shrugged in a chair. University can teach you this. It's important to make the most of your time at university. You won't be able to get the time back, and when looking back in years to come, you'll have fond memories to treasure – and a qualification that will set your career off in the right direction.

Sample of Good Essay - What to Include in It

Sample of Good Essay - What to Include in ItIt is important to write a sample of good essay in order to be able to get an idea of how the particular subject is written. In this manner, you will be able to use this to judge whether or not your essay is a piece that is composed properly or not.The essay should be organized and well planned out. When you are writing the sample of good essay, it would be best to look up the latest and evergreen writings of different people on the same subject matter. It would also be helpful if you look up on any recent works of media personalities or writers on the same subject matter.The key point is that you need to make the subject of the essay unique. The writer of the sample of good essay should have an imagination in his/her mind about what kind of information he/she would want to show in the article. The essay should also include facts that you would like to incorporate in the article. Be sure that the essay you are going to write does not sound overly grammatical.Contents of the article should be meaningful. The reader must understand what you have stated and what purpose you are trying to reach by writing the sample of good essay.The sample of good essay that you write should be a perfect example for another person. It should be a perfect example of what you are going to achieve in your work.When you write good examples, the readers are sure to find similarities with their own lives. Since most of the writers do not have much knowledge on the subject, they tend to miss the most relevant points that they may have included in the sample of a good essay.When you have finished writing the sample of good essay, make sure that you are still fully aware of the main topic that you are going to write about. Remember that you should try to pick the most important points that you can and go over them well. After finishing all the writing, make sure that you revise it well.

Also Known As... Essays - Nickname, Pug, Friendship, Lunch Table

Also Known As... Essays - Nickname, Pug, Friendship, Lunch Table Also Known As... Nicknames are a substitute of a name given to a person in fun, affection, and belittlement, usually descriptive. They can also be used to shorten a person's name, like "Dick," for Richard. Nicknames, whether positive or negative, are only describing a person's general characteristics. Although hurtful nicknames can lower a persons' reputation and self-esteem, joyful nicknames give the person a sense of pride. O.K., first of all people sometimes take a nickname way too far. People might be given a nickname for that one single little thing they did, and somehow it gets turned into a nickname that sticks for a long time. For example: One day my friend was at our lunch table, in high school, and someone asked him to borrow a quarter. Now, my friend had a lot of change, because he just grabbed it off the table before we sat down. He answered the kid "No," and until this day we call him "Jew," because he will not spend his money or give it away. I can tell that he does not appreciate the name when he either says or does something when called that, because he turns all red and usually curses. People are sometimes insulted by a nickname, I know I am. My older brother would call me fatso, and it would bother me because I was a little bit overweight when I was younger. Other people are called this too, because they are usually "fat." I know they do not appreciate the name, but what can they do? It lowers a person's self-esteem and causes them to lose weight, retaliate, or cry. Girls are especially the ones who lose weight and cry, and the guys almost always retaliate, but sometimes lose weight. I would always push or shove my brother for calling me that name. People are also insulted by names such as scumbag, nerd, geek, shorty, loser, bitch, and jerk. People who dress bad, smell bad, or overall look bad, are sometimes called scumbags. There might be other reasons for the name that I do not know of. Sometimes the name can be meant in fun. My girlfriend would wear sweatpants to school, and ask me if she looks like a scumbag; I would say yes, but not really hurting her feelings. I have given people insulting nicknames such as: fatty, bitch, slut, loser, fag, nigger, and stupid. Granted, I have said some of these behind a person's back, but other times in front of them to hurt or belittle them. My friends back home have nicknames as well as me, thus these are positive ones. My one friend is called "Big Dog" because he is tall and muscular. Another is called "Dick" because his name is Richard. "Sulli" refers to ones last name of Sullivan. One got his nickname of "Kamala" because of his size and color of skin(referring to an ex-wrestler). "GoGo" refers to a stuttering friend. I have a few to tell: "Pugs", "Pugsy", "Kev", "Fitz" (for a linebacker 's name in college), and "Babe" by my girlfriend. Each of these names, like "Big Dog", "Sulli", "Kamala", and "Pugs" are positive in a way, because none of us gets insulted by them. Many people, besides my friends and me, give out nicknames for positive qualities. These are usually the names a person would like to hear rather than insulting ones. Names can go as far back as to when someone is a child. My father nicknamed my younger brother "cutie" when he was many years younger. He still calls him this to this day. My grand-father nicknamed me "kebetsko," I do not know why, how, or even know how to spell it; but he still calls me it today. My football coach would nickname his players. He called me "Pugs" 'cause of my last name. He gave a kid the name of "Preemie" for premadona. Another one got the name of "Cubby-bear" because he was an overweight running back who looked like a little bear. More positive nicknames are those of people's names. Nick for Nicholas, Pat for Patrick, Ang for Angela, Jill for Jillian, and so on. Nicknames, whether desirable or undesirable, everyone has either had or has now. Parents, coaches, family,

The Science of Curing Grey Hair

The Science of Curing Grey Hair The current cures for gray hair range from the truly promising to being downright snake oil in nature. The products and procedures that are for real are based on real science and recent research on the causes of gray hair. So recent, that as of this writing any real solutions for reversing gray hair are still pending, however, they are definitely in the works to manifest for the consumer during the next few years. What Causes Grey Hair Each individual hair follicle has pigment-producing cells called melanocytes. As the hair strand is being formed, the melanocytes cells inject pigment (melanin) into cells containing keratin, the protein structures that makes up our hair follicles, skin, and nails. Throughout our lifetime, our melanocytes continue to inject pigment into our hairs keratin, giving it color, however, after a certain amount of years of producing, our melanocytes go on strike so to speak and stop making as much melanin which causes grey hair, or make no melanin at all which causes white hair. When you ask a scientist why this happens, the common answer given us is usually genetics, that our genes regulate the predestined exhaustion of the pigmentation potential of each individual hair follicle. However, there is a more in-depth explanation about what happens when our hair turns gray or white, and understanding the science behind that is leading to innovations that will change the inevitability of having to put up with a loss of hair color. Stem Cell Research: Reversing Grey Hair In 2005, Harvard scientists were the first to propose that a failure of melanocyte stem cells to maintain the production of melanocytes caused the graying of hair. They were correct, and other scientists have expanded on their research. The simplified definition of a stem cell is a cell whose job is to make more cells. Stem cells repair and build our bodies. As explained above in this article, two different types of cell production occur when our bodies produce a non-grey strand of hair. The melanocytes stem ​cells produce the hair color, and other stem cells produce the hair follicle. Scientists have researched this coordinated production between the two different stem cell types, and have discovered a signaling protein called Wnt. Think of Wnt as a type of work foreman that oversees the production of hair and tells each different stem cell type how fast to work. Wnt has everything to do with why our hair turns gray. When our melanocytes stem cells do not have enough Wnt protein, they do not get the signal to produce hair color. Professor Mayumi and a team of researchers at the New York University Medical Center have successfully restored hair color in mice by manipulating the Wnt signaling proteins. Mayumi is confident that the research will lead to solutions of melanocyte related issues both serious and cosmetic in humans, including skin diseases such as melanoma, and of course gray hair. Researchers at the Tokyo University of Science, have also experimented with stem cells in attempts to regrow hair and restore color. The researchers injected a bald and otherwise colorless mouse with stem cells from live hair follicles and were able to grow dark tufts of hair on the injection site. The research is intended to lead to solutions for both baldness and gray hair in humans. LOreal Research: Preventing Grey Hair Doctor Bruno Bernard is the head of hair biology at LOreal in Paris. LOreal, a company known for hair and beauty products, is currently supporting research into innovative methods of preventing hair from turning gray. Bernard and his team have been studying the melanocyte stem cells found in our skin that are responsible for making skin the pigment that it is. The researchers wanted to know why our skin doesnt turn gray with age but our hair does. They discovered an enzyme called TRP-2 that is present in our skin stem cells but is missing in our hair follicle stem cells. They observed that TRP-2 helped protect the melanocyte stem cells in skin from damage, and so helped those stem cells to last longer and function better. The TRP-2 enzyme provided an advantage to our skin cells that the cells involved with hair production do not have. LOreal intends to innovate a topical treatment, such as a shampoo for hair, that will replicate the effect of the TRP-2 enzyme and give the melanocyte stem cells in hair follicles the same advantage that skin stem cells have, thereby preventing and delaying gray hair from happening in the first place. The End of Grey Hair The majority of all people, over three-quarters of the population, will have some gray hair by the age of fifty. Surprisingly, one in ten people over the age of sixty still have no gray hair. For those of us who just dont want the look, hair dye to cover the gray has always been the only option, if you exclude hats. Viable alternatives may be on the horizon.