I’m 24 and I have gray hair! What’s going on?
- asks Kat from London
Lindsey Bewley • October 8, 2007
![Gray hair can happen at any age--even in your teens or early twenties. [Credit: Abouthair.com]](https://scienceline.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/hair1.jpg)
Gray hair can happen at any age--even in your teens or early twenties. [Credit: Abouthair.com]
I was only 18 when I spotted my first gray hairs, interlopers among my chestnut-colored tresses. As a freshman in college, I chalked these gray hairs up to stress from calculus class and a bad boyfriend. But by the time I aced calculus and dumped the boyfriend, those silver wisps were still there—and now, at the age of 25, a few gray strands have multiplied to what seems like nearly a hundred, silently taunting me when I look in the mirror as if to say, “You’re getting old. You’re getting old. You’re getting old.”
To explain the mystery of graying hair, you must get to the root of the problem, err, I mean the root of your hair. Under the scalp, a tube of tissue called the hair follicle surrounds the root of every hair strand. Each follicle contains a number of pigment cells that produce melanin, the polymer that gives the growing shaft of hair its color. Usually these pigment cells continuously produce melanin, but if your body stops generating it, the strand of hair will have very little pigment to paint over it’s normally transparent hue; this base-transparency will then present itself as gray, white, or silver.
Melanin production is brought to a halt for a variety of reasons–some natural, some indicators of greater health issues. As people continue to get older, the number of pigment cells around to produce melanin will actually be reduced. Eventually, these cells will be so depleted, the hair will look completely gray. Incidentally, melanin also provides moisture to the hair strand, so when less is produced, hair tends to grow brittle, losing its bounce. This is why as your hair leans towards the color of the snowy peaks of the Alps, its texture becomes dryer and coarser, making it more curly or wiry.
My gray hair started when I was still in my teens—a far cry from the usual graying age range of 30 to 50. But it turns out that people can get gray hair at any age, depending on genetics. This means that most of us will start having gray hairs around the same age that our parents or grandparents first did. I called my mother to find out our family’s graying hairstory. She told me it wasn’t any surprise that I had started to gray at a young age—her uncle’s hair was completely white by the time he was 25. Aha! I thought. Now this mystery is starting to make sense.
Researchers have shown that gender plays a role in graying. The average male starts to gray around age 30, while women typically began to notice lighter strands around age 35. In some families, many members develop white hair in their 20s. “It obviously clusters in families in one sense. Whether that is a single gene or common gene we don’t know,” writes Dr. Meyer in the magazine Scientific American. “Generally speaking, among Caucasians, 50% are 50% gray by age 50. There is, however, wide variation. This number differs for other ethnic groups, again demonstrating the effect of genetics.” But this biological fact of life varies greatly from person to person, which made dermatologists and geneticists conclude that age is not the the only indicator of when gray hair will appear.
For starters, smoking is known to decrease melanin production. Sometimes, the arrival of gray hair can be a sign of an underlying health problem. Werner’s syndrome, a disease that mirrors the symptoms of aging in people as young as 20, can spur the premature growth of gray hair. Pernicious anemia, a disease marked by a vitamin B12 deficiency, is also associated with decreased melanin production.
Although there are people who think that a big shock or trauma can turn a person’s hair white overnight, only a rare disease has been known to cause this phenomenon. Called alopecia areata, the condition causes the thicker, darker hairs to stop growing before it affects the growth of gray hairs—meaning people with the disease seem to “go gray” overnight as the darker strands are diminished and the gray ones keep on growing strong.
Overnight graying myth aside, what about that pesky old wive’s tale that says pulling out a gray will result in five more springing in it’s place? That’s also wrong! So yank away. I, however, don’t have that kind of patience, so it’s back to the salon for me, for a little color to cover those stubborn grays.
369 Comments
I am 25 and already have a handful of gray hairs, and unfortunately around the same general area so it is even more noticeable. Not to mention that they are near the front of my face, also no good. I noticed a few when I was around 21 and they seem to be multiplying from there. Of course I am told I make it out to be worse than it is but I DO see them when my roots start showing. My parents both started graying in their 20’s so it isn’t a shock that I am too. I have been dying my hair like crazy to cover them up BUT have recently decided to say F*** it. My mom is in her 60’s and has all white silver gray hair and it looks beautiful. I will just start taking vitamins to try and prolong the event of it spreading but wont try to hide the handful I have now. It is REAL. It is life. And it really doesn’t look that bad. It’s funny that the article should mention the b-12 deficiency and anemia thing since I have both. Might be something to it. Not to mention I had my fair share of partying hard, which has subsided the last 2 years thank god. I am sure all the smoking and drinking didn’t help the situation. Anyway, I am happy to say that I will not have to worry about “touch ups” anymore. The older I get (and yes, I know I am not that old) I realize it really isn’t that big a deal. It’s just the way it is and premature graying is more common than you think. Most of my friends have seen some sprouting, so chances are you know someone who is too.
I was 23 and at the gym when my personal trainer suddenly said “Hey, you’re starting to go grey!” I thought wtf are you talking about?? That can’t be, I’m way too young. I couldn’t see them even standing really close by the mirror but now that I’m 24 there is no denying it anymore. I’m really sad about it bc I always dyed my hair and I was proud to finally show off my real hair color, a nice soft light brown. That didn’t last long. Now I’m going to have to dye it with harsh chemicals forever, because I hate those frizzy grandma locks…:(
By the way, I’ve been a vegetarian since 2006, could that have something to do with it? But I do think I get enough B12 because I eat lots of cheese and dairy products.
im only 14 and already got GRREY hair, my friends have noticed this and keep telling me to do sumthing about it, but i got no clue?
is it because i keep using GHD’s alot?
im worried, i hate looking at my hair and doig it up nicee, cuz ino iv’e got Grey hair :(
help me!!
I’m 24 years old and beginning to notice more and more.
Even worse, everyone i know seems to love commenting on it. Talk to my best friend “hey, is your hair going grey?”, talk to my boss “don’t you look distinguished”, talk to my mum “i’m sure it’s just a trick of the light”, talk to my sister “bloody hell it caught you early”.
I’ve got so many other crushing self-confidence problems, i really don’t need a new one. I’d consider dying it, but i don’t think i can afford it with any great regularity. My genetics suck on both sides of the family to the point whereby i think it’d be merciful if i agreed never to procreate.
Who knew you could be your own worst enemy.
I started having gray hair when I was 13 years old and now I’m 24. I have about 40% gray and 60% dark hair. My older brother and sister don’t even have gray hair. It’s so embarrassing, so i color my hair every 4-6 weeks.
Does anyone knows how to prevent this thing from getting worse? any recommendation? I’m sick of coloring my hair anymore!
I am 48 and have no gray hairs is this normal or is there something wrong here.
I’m 17 and have had a couple of grey hairs at the back of my head for a couple of years now. It makes me incredibly self concious, I wear my hair in a side parting and I never go to the hairdressers until I absolutely have to, and it is a mortifying experience. I put highlights in my hair now, which is annoying s now it gets really dry easily. No one else in my immediate family is like this, although my uncle and aunt were completely grey by 30. It’s great to know that there’s people the same age out there who are going through the same problem and I hope one day I can get over it, I mean it’s only hair, right?
Still, anyone have any quick and easy solutions?
Hi Guys,
Chk this product out, it’s suppose to eliminate gray hair because of the catalase.
http://cbs4.com/health/pluck.pill.gray.2.1462200.html
I am starting to go grey, and I’m only 17! I think I’m going to commit suicide if this doesn’t stop. And I really mean this.
My gray hair started out in my early 20’s, but my body is the one who took the toll on it, it started on my chest, face and now I am getting it on my arms I am now 32 going on 33. Half of my body is now covered with silver hair, except my hair on my heard. My friends make fun of me and refer to me sometimes as a werewolf. I have learned to live and cope with it, I don’t cover it up or dye it. The good thing about the gray on my face I can use it to my advantage, I hardly got carded in my college years, and my favorite costume for halloween is a werewolf, all I had to do it grow my beard a la-wolverine style, fake blood and fangs, etc. Anyway so when someone makes fun of your gray hair, mess with their minds a lil, say that you have silverback gorilla genes and that you are a alpha or you can say you’re related to werewolves and you love to hunt and absolutely love meat! happy hunting. lol
I’m 28, and have been dyeing my hair since I was 13, because the color didn’t suit me (a truly horrid ash blonde that looked silvery green most often, and no, I am not a swimming pool addict). I noticed that my roots were showing, and thought to take a closer look today. They’re all gray or silver. I’m having such a hard time coming to terms with this. I suspect my father’s genetics – he was wholly gray at my age. I’m still very unhappy about it, and will continue to dye my hair until I’m comfortable with it.
I’m 25 and got about a 100 grays! First, I have to say thank god for the internet and a site like this to make me feel like one in the crowd suffering with gray hair. It has really stopped me in my tracks and made me depressed a lot. I hate dying my hair, but I’m not ready to go white…I don’t think. I have many food problems, but nothing I can really get treated. For example, I have gluten allergies, but not celiac disease (got tested). I heard gluten problems can have an influence…does anyone know if that is true?
Hi,m at the age of 29.My hair is turning grey.any solution for it ?
is there a way of stoping it and can’t you dye your hair to stop it looking gray
or white
I am a 35yr Native American woman and have had SILVER (shiny) hair since I was 18. I am now 35 and have only last year decided not to dye my hair anymore. My natural color is jet black and since I have stopped dying it, I have noticed that my hair is getting much lighter. Not just the silver. right now it looks as though it is a brown with red highlights. I’m keeping an eye on it. I think it is actually going to slowly lose all color until it is silver. Dyes are very harsh and damaging. I am actually looking forward to healthy silver as opposed to unhealthy black.
Im 20, I found my grey hair this morning and freaked out but I’m kinda worried because my hair used to be really thick and bouncy, its seems like its thinning and deffo not as healthy. This grey hair made me more concerned it was grey from the root and half way down it was my normal brown!!
I think i noticed my first grey hair when i was 21, now i am 26 and i;ve got quite a few but its still not too noticibale unless u look closely
i hope i can get to my 30’s before it becomes really noticable
Im 23 and have noticed gray hairs here & there for the past few years, but it has yet to get any worse. I usually just pull them out.
Hi all…interesting postings, I ‘Googled’ vitamin b12 deficiency and grey hair because I am a vegetarian and have thought that my lack of the b12 vitamin might be cause of my greying at 17, that and my mum and gran went grey around 17/18. I am now 25 and last coloured my hair 4weeks ago. I know have half an inch of re-growth and 80% of that is grey, it’s mostly on my crown and right side, but they are there, long, thick, thin, wirey, spirely…whilst I have been various shades of brown i am now considering lots of blond highlights to disguise the grays…c’est la vie!
dgedgs
This is embarressing.I got white hair at the age of…eerrrr between or somewherre 10-12 DX GOD,HOW DO U STOP THIS?!This the mnost worst ME TO GET THIS …
you guys are 19-20 and have grays, well HA im 13 and I have quite a few!i noticed my first white hair at the age of 10. I straighten my hair everymorning.. i wondered if that was it. A few kids in my grade 8 class noticed a had grey hair. so now i dye my hair so that my shiney silver hair strands are gone. I have been stressed alot with girlfriend problems and school work, so i guess stress could be a factor. Like..there has never been a strand of grey hair with my black hair on it ! they are all solid silver. if im 13 now and have alot of greys and noticing more everyday.. i will probably have a total head of silver when im in my late 30’s to my early 40’s !! any way i can stop getting greys??
Hi, a few days ago I noticed that I have gray hair. I have two problems, first problem is that my hair is BLACK!! so it’s pretty obvious…
second is that it’s not only my hair roots that are white, even the middle of it is white. what I mean is that the root is black the middle is white the end is black… and it’s freaking me out!!
I have Anemia and two months ago I started taking medication for it then I stopped . so I’m guessing that’s the reason behind it.
lol 124 comments. Im 24 and have had WHITE hairs (my hair is jet black so they really stand out) they are everyhwere!! :-( i like to think its because im wise for my age :D …yeah.. that must be what it is…
just yesterday at sunday church my sister saw something glistening in my hair thinking it was the sun reflecting off my hair, but to realize after moving to a different view to see it still glistening. yes. a silver hair strand just relaxing there. i dont know if its genetics but i do know that i do stress ALOT. soo. yeah.
Haha just got sent a link from a mate to this page, he has jet black hair still the bastard!
I’m 24 and used to have greys when I was still in school. At least we aren’t going bald like some guys are in their 20s, so don’t start plucking them out, because then your going to just end up grey AND balding by your own doing!
Come on guys, man up, grey hair is pretty cool, yeah you might get a bit of banter from the lads but don’t be so sensitive! If you’re striking out with the ladies I imagine it might have something to do with your lack of confidence due to the white hairs on your head! In my experience girls actually don’t care about it at all, in fact some really like it.
Oh, and ‘Grey Pride’! hahaha I’m stealing that line for sure!
If you want to treat / reverse / avoid grey hair, you may like to consider the following facts & ideas gained from my few hours of research:
FACTS:
– Typical gray hair first develops at age 34.2 +/- 9.6 years in Caucasians, while for Black people the average age of onset is 43.9 +/-10.3 years [Keogh 1965].
– For some people this can happen at a very young age (for example, at the age of 8-10).
– Gray hair is caused by the gradual reduction of melanin production over time within the affected hair follicle.
– The age at which graying begins is almost entirely due to genetics.
– A British Medical Journal study found that smokers were four times more likely to begin graying prematurely, compared to nonsmokers. 2nd hand smoke should also be avoided.
– There are no special diets, nutritional supplements, vitamins, nor proteins that have been proven to slow, stop, or in any way affect the graying process, although many have been marketed over the years. (Be highly skeptical of any so called cures).
– One cause of gray hair may be vitamin B12 deficiency. However, this is unlikely unless a person is eating a strict
vegan diet. A blood test can diagnose B12 deficiency.
TREATMENTS:
– Males: you may like to cut your hair short, e.g. buy a buzz cutter and give yourself a #1 or #2 cut once every 2 weeks. This will make grey hair less noticeable.
– If you just have a few grey hairs, you can pluck them individually, or snip them short with scissors.
– Hair dye is an option, but consider using a natural product like Henna, as chemical preparations may not be so great for your health.
– Quit smoking and avoid smokers.
– Maximize other areas of your appearance, e.g. exercise and stay fit and healthy. Focus on your best points – not your worst.
– Figure out how to either ignore or respond to people who may comment or tease you. Usually they don’t understand that it’s hurtful, and they’re doing it carelessly. Nobody’s perfect and you shouldn’t let others make you feel that you have to be. One good response may be: “I know my appearance isn’t perfect, but neither is yours … nobody’s is”.
– Take a vitamin B12 supplement if you’re a vegan.
– Keep things in perspective. As you can see from other commenters, lots of people have grey hair, and some at a very young age. Eventually everyone will. If you have your health you’re still doing well. George Clooney wins sexiest man alive awards consistently and he has grey hair. Anderson Cooper looks great with a head full of white hair. There can be some advantages such as looking distinguished, (or not getting carded as others have said here).
– Accept what you have and make the most out of it.
That’s it guys. I hope this is helpful to you. I wish you all the best!
haha kinda sucks but i’ve had gray hair since i was in 5th grade. and i’m 20 now kinda sucks because my hair stylist always misses the silver ones in my really dark hair. when i get it cut short some one will be looking at me a pull out a silver hair thats easily 3x as long as the rest of my hair. it sucks and dont even get me started on my hair line and already thinning hair. :|
i HAVE 35% GREY HAIR AT THE AGE OF 25 WITH A TREMENDOUS HAIR FALL, WHAT HOME REMEDY MAY I FOLLOW?
i HAVE 35% GREY HAIR AT HE AGE OF 25 WITH A TREMENDOUUS HAIR FALL due to week hair, WHAT HOME REMEDY MAY I FOLLOW
i HAVE 35% GREY HAIR AT THE AGE OF 25 WITH A TREMENDOUS HAIR FALL, WHAT HOME REMEDY MAY I FOLLOW?
Is hair coloring a good option?? I apply hena alternate weekends but it it is a temporary solution.
My hair type is: wavy
I HAVE GOOD NEW FOR YOU. IF YOU HAVE GREY HAIR EARLY, YOU SOON GONNA LOSE ALL YOUR TEETH AND DIE AT THE AGE OF 30. GOOD LUCK.
I am 24 and I get my hair cut every two weeks (to keep a style). Four weeks ago, I had it cut and there was nothing out of the ordinary, all the same as it always has been, two weeks ago I got my hair cut again and out of nowhere, I had three white hairs on the left side of my head above my ear! My hairdresser pointed this out to me and I was/am mortified! I got home and plucked those 3 suckers right out, hoping thay they’d just be freak hairs and not come back but today (nearly two weeks on), I found them grown through again. Premature greyness doesn’t run in my family, nor does baldness at any age so why the heck do I have these? I feel so bummed out about it and I want them gone, I guess it could be stress related if that’s true, I’ve had one messy breakup this year and another try relationship with someone else ended pretty badly recently too (good old 2010!), both of which have driven me to my wits end.
I can’t have a vitamin B12 deficiency, I eat healthily and lots of meat but there is something else that worries me. I enjoy going to the gym and in an attempt to bulk up a little, I have been using a Whey Protein Supplement which apparently is a mix of whey protein concentrate and whey protein isolate. Come to think of it, I’ve only been using it a month so could this be the cause?
Please help!
hei……..i am 24 yrs old and i have 20% of gray hair. I m now using natural henna colour to cover my gray hair. My girl freind is only 15 and i can’t propose her becasue of my hair. i feel uncomfortable in front her because of my gray hair if she will notive my gray hair. i love her very much and dont want ot loose her only for my hair. i need a suggestion regarding this.
I’m 21 I’ll be 22 in August and I noticed a strand of grey hair but I think that strand has been there since I was in my teens, it just got whiter it’s the same strand that’s been there since I can remember. Thankfully there’s been no widespread of grey hairs all over my head, I’m already going through enough issues so hopefully it stays this way until I get in my 40’s and then I won’t mind greying away. I just don’t want it to multiply, the human body is so weird and annoying. Greying or any kind of condition at a young age is a punch to your self esteem, and even worse when doctors keep telling you there’s nothing they can do.
I got my first gray hair at 8! I am 19 now and have quite a few swarming about! I don’t want to be gray so early, my mum was fully gray by the time she hit 25 so not looking promising for me.
Looks like everyone is tryin to find out how to cure white hair. I bet if you find out the solution, you will be rich!
I’m 44 and discovered my first grey hairs at 22. So, I’ve been grey for half my life. I used to use henna but had to leave it on for HOURS to cover the grey. By my early 30s I had to switch to hair dye. Now I colour my hair at least every three weeks. I don’t think I’ll ever be brave enough to stop dyeing it. I inherited it from my dad. (The grey, not the hair dye.)
The good news is that people always compliment me on my hair colour (red) and are ALWAYS surprised when I say I have grey hair. (Why do I tell them? you may well ask!) Actually at this point it must be at least 80% grey. At LEAST. I never really wait long enough to find out.
Just wanted to reassure those of you who are just embarking on the journey that there is life after white. :)
Im 25 male and always made girls break necks when I walked past. I had all JET BLACK hair and now very recently noticed my first grey hairs around the side burns. Right now I have only spotted 4 maybe 5 between both sides but I’m still in shock. Really hoped I would be at least 40 till I saw my first.
My dad got his first when he was 30, so that combined with being an ex-smoker is what did it for me I’m sure.
Hopefully scientists think a cure could be less than 10years away? Maybe a simple tablet/pill to reverse grey hair. So possibly we can all have less grey in 10years times….somewhat naturally. :)
White hairs can turn back to their original color: I noticed my first white hair around high school. But it wasn’t completely white…the bottom half was white, but the top half (the part from the root) was my original hair color…it was really weird, but ever since, I occasionally notice hairs like that. Sometimes, they’re only white in the middle of the hair. I think stress is probably a huge factor (I think the white happened when I was in school). I think it’s rather fun to find such hairs…
SIX YEARS OLD! I started graying when I was six years old. My hair was around 40% gray when I turned 10. Now im 21 and I have about 75% gray hair. I color the roots every 2 months. It doesn’t bother me at all. It actually makes me feel special. I always have an interesting story to tell, about how I got gray hair at such an early age. HAHA. and it also gives me an excuse to experiment with different hair colors/dyes. When I color my hair and the gray hairs go lighter, it looks like I have highlights. People tell me that my highlights look really good. :D
I’m 23 and seriously freaking out. I keep finding grey hairs on my temples, and worse, I’ll occasionally find one that’s brown at the end and grey at the root: proof that it was once normal and healthy. I look at it think about how it will never grow in brown again. It makes me feel like an old lady on her deathbed. I know grey hairs don’t necessarily imply poor health but I really don’t need a symbol of decay growing out of my head.
Hi, im 15 and i started having grey hair since i was about 10 – 12. I got addicted of pulling grey hair but they keep growing back. Now they are all over the place. My twin brother pulled 70 grey hair. 70!!!!! And at school people keep regonizing my hair saying “OMG you have grey hair,” It makes me feel alone. Good thing is that my twin also has grey hair (not as much as me though), so it must be genetics. Its also good to see that im not alone with this situation seeing how a lot of you have the same problem.
Sir,
I am 28 years of old and I have both the problems that is 1. half of my hair are gray(white)now and at the same time 2. I am having hair loss too. I am really worried about my future because of that. For your information, I am also a chain smoker.
I have have two questions as well:
1. Avoiding smock could at least decrease the rate of graying and loss of hair or not?
2. If masturbation is also the reason of hair graying and hair loss? if Yes, avoiding it could help to some extend or not?
3. Is taking Drug(Cought syrup)increase the rate of hair graying and hair loss?
Please help me sir, thank you.
got my first when i was 11. it sucked.
I’m 24 and the whites keep springing up on my head , i was pretty upset about it. but i have a solution for fellow men . Shave your head , i do it every month now, Ladies love it anyway ..
I am soon 26 years old, and female. I first started to notice my silver hair when I was 19/20. I didn’t understand it. when I first noticed it – I actually had about 5-10 strands. now it’s more of course, I think it increased a alot the first year, but now I’m not sure if I am getting more, kind of feels like it stopped increasing. I have it only on one spot which is at the top of my head, infront, a bit to the left. so thank God I can atcually hide it if I divide my hair more to the other side. I can cover it up that way. I used to dye my hair every 1-2 months. it grows back so fast, like 2 weeks in and the nasty roots are back. it hurts my self esteem alot. I wish to God there was a way to reverse it, but atleast reading through the comments on this site, I feel a bit better about it. and like many of you, I hope I can get to 30-35 without getting full gray and being able to hide it.
but I am tired of this hair cut I have, I’ve been thinking about trying bangs and I THINK they might be hideable this way too. otherwise I will just have to die it alot again. nasty silvers. ugh
I just turned 32 with long dark brown hair and no grays yet. A while back, I saw one weird looking short and straight white hair strand exactly on top of my head. I plucked it, and haven’t see any grays like that since then. So, I am not sure what that was about. I am hoping to not get any grays until I am about 40.
My mom and dad both said they went gray in their early 30s. I have a 30 year old sister that started getting some grays when she was 27, so the genetic odds are against me, but with diet, and exercise to relieve the stress, I am hoping to not get any grays for a while. I guess we will see about that.
SOLUTION:
hey guys…please suggest some solution for grey hairs, i m using colour from 2 years,its working good but hair fall started after that.
please suggest guys…