Grey hair in Early 20's

ambrosia · Feb 8th, 2008, 09:45 AM

Hi Everyone.

I'm in my early 20s and I've recently discovered some grey. I pulled out about 10 really really white wirey hairs (is this really a bad thing to do?) from my part and there's still more. I'd say the grey hairs have about 1-2 inches of white at the tip. There's also a good deal of hair that is in the in between stage...not quite grey, but not my actual color. I don't think it is noticeable at this point...but it still worries me.

Anyone else go grey relatively young?? How long did it become noticeable after you noticed the first few? Does anyone have any tricks for when your hair quality changes (there are lots of little wirey hairs coming in that won't behave)?

I've made an appointment with my doctor, as I've read that pre-mature greying can often be a sign of an underlying health problem so I just want to get checked out in case something is wrong. From what I've read it is not reversible once it starts, but I figure better to be safe than sorry.

Its just kind of shocking to me...it was never anything I really thought about until I found the first few.

Thanks all!

doulosforhim · Feb 9th, 2008, 01:22 AM

Hi

i started in my late twenties but only had a very few. i found that while i visibly noticed them, it was not noticeable to others.
at first i would pull them out until i started dying it, which after a while felt silly for just under a handful of strands.
I am currently on harsh meds which cause hairloss, so i neither pull them out or dye my hair. I need to preserve every hair strand wether grey or not...lol
Its a good thing your are going to the doctor.At least you will find out about your health.
Did anyone in your family go grey at an early age?
I could be wrong but i thought i read it can be familial..
I know my dad went totally grey in his early twenties too, so it really was of no surprise when i discovered it.

Hopefully everyone will soo chime in and share their opinions and knowledge.

but i would not continue to pull them out.

Best of luck.

MichelleAntonia · Feb 9th, 2008, 05:57 AM

a few grays in your 20's is completely normal, that's what i'm told. i think it's only a sign of a problem if there are a lot and they start appearing suddenly.

i have a few i pluck out.

MichelleAntonia · Feb 9th, 2008, 06:01 AM

found this:

"The first onset of gray hair and the speed at which people go gray varies considerably from person to person. Most people actually start going gray in their late 20s but they don't notice it immediately. Premature graying is defined as gray hair onset before late teens for Caucasians and before age 30 in Africans and Asians, or alternatively 50% or more gray scalp hair before age 50.

The time and speed of gray hair onset is due in part to genetics, and early onset gray hair development can run in families.

Incidence; Causes & Development
Very occasionally, a few gray hairs can develop in children as young as 8 years and yet it indicates nothing other than an early onset of the gray hair that we all develop with increasing age. 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]. As a rough guide, 50% of the population in the US and Europe have 50% gray hair by age 50.

Gray hair is caused by the gradual reduction of melanin production over time within the affected hair follicle. The melanocytes in the hair follicles produce less and less melanin, and the result is a loss of hair fiber color strength. What we call gray hair is not gray at all if you look at the individual hair fibers. Some hair fibers will contain some color while others are virtually white. What we describe as gray comes about from our perception of the overall scalp hair color. Blondes are most likely to develop a completely white head of hair in old age because their hair fiber has a very low density of pigment in it to start with.

Signs & Symptoms
The most common areas on the scalp in which to first see gray hair development are above the ears and/or at the temples. This first gray hair may spread around the sides and to the crown with time. Gray hair development in the beard and mustache may also start quite early, while gray hair on the chest and pubic region generally only occurs some years after onset of gray hair on the scalp."

hope that helps!

PrincessMe · Feb 9th, 2008, 08:26 AM

i started to get gray hairs when i was 12. i was really under aloy of stress then and after awhile they went away.
before my wedding a few years ago they came back again alot & i was def stressed then too so maybe it is true that stress contributes to grays. after wedding they went away again.
now im in my late 20's and i have seen a random few. ita with everything u wrote, i'd hate to dye my hair just for a few strands...i heard about a new product called i think root touchup from l'oreal..im not sure of the name exactly but its something like that...another thing ive heard of is getting high lites bc that camoflauges them better..

jennifer lopez said she went gray went she was 19

moogle · Feb 9th, 2008, 09:05 AM

I started getting grays in the front of my hair in my early 20s. Luckily, they weren't the
coarse, wiry kind. They were the same texture as my normal hair. Over a few years,
those few hairs turned into a gray streak, which I used to fight!!! I finally gave up,
and let the streak win. Hairdressers kept telling me "People pay to have those put in!".
After I finally accepted it, I got to like it. People thought I paid to have it added.....I
was like, um, no - that is the only natural color on my hair. (I did get my hair
dyed, but left the streak color free - it wouldn't hold color well anyway.)

ambrosia · Feb 11th, 2008, 10:29 AM

Thanks everyone...I feel a lot better after reading your posts. No one in my family went grey until they were in their 40s...so we will see what happens. It doesn't seem like the end of the world as much anymore.

Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences!

cosmogrl5 · Feb 11th, 2008, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moogle

I started getting grays in the front of my hair in my early 20s. Luckily, they weren't the
coarse, wiry kind. They were the same texture as my normal hair. Over a few years,
those few hairs turned into a gray streak, which I used to fight!!! I finally gave up,
and let the streak win. Hairdressers kept telling me "People pay to have those put in!".
After I finally accepted it, I got to like it. People thought I paid to have it added.....I
was like, um, no - that is the only natural color on my hair. (I did get my hair
dyed, but left the streak color free - it wouldn't hold color well anyway.)

Good for you to decide to flaunt it rather than hide it! Stacy London of "What Not To Wear" leaves her streak, and I think it looks pretty cool.

I have a few here and there that I am starting to find. I am 27. My mom told me that is when she started to get them too.

partridge · Feb 12th, 2008, 05:42 AM

Hi everyone, I had greys in my 20s too. I'm now in my early 40s and recently noticed tons more greys coming in, underneath and behind my ears and temples. I've been coloring my hair but it's a chore! Someone told me that chelated copper supplements can help reverse grey hair. I've been taking them for about 3 weeks. Haven't noticed any changes yet but I'm hoping! You can also try fo-ti (it's a chinese herb). And if you're young, these supplements will probably work faster and more effectively. They may prevent new greys from coming even if they don't actually restore your natural color. Well, it's worth a try :)

missmustard · Feb 12th, 2008, 09:23 PM

I'm 25 and have several gray hairs along my part, too. I think mine are due to the fact that my mom started going gray at a young age as well. Nothing to worry about!

juniormint · Feb 12th, 2008, 09:38 PM

I started finding grey hair in my twenties also. I've read a couple of places that early greying can also be attributed to having consumed a lot of caffiene. Supposedly the caffeine has something to do with reducing calcium (maybe b/c you're not consuming much), and that in turn also causes a loss of melanin.
I was/and have always been a big coke/diet coke drinker.

ScienceNerd · Feb 12th, 2008, 11:58 PM

Gosh, I thought I was the only one! I just turned 20 a couple months ago and my part has been lined with grays. My aunt went full gray in her 20's so I'm definitely freaking out. I don't drink anything with caffeine and I'm not really stressed so I've just come to the conclusion that I'm screwed :-)

bagaholic85 · Feb 13th, 2008, 12:34 PM

i thought i had one the other day, FREAKED out, ran to my mother hysterical and she pulled out a feather

oops

ScienceNerd · Feb 13th, 2008, 01:48 PM

bagaholic that's hilarious...wow never would have thought of that lol

moi et mes sacs · Feb 13th, 2008, 03:15 PM

early greying runs in my family on my fathers side. My sister is 42 and has a full head of grey hair. I have a few so I have had a lucky escape. Its not that bad. If you go for a semi permanent colour every eight weeks it will make your hair feel beautifully soft and you can vary the colour for a change if you like. Yes they can be a bit wiry but if they are few and far between it shouldnt be a problem.

Feb 8th, 2008, 09:45 AM	#1
ambrosia Member	Grey hair in Early 20's Hi Everyone. I'm in my early 20s and I've recently discovered some grey. I pulled out about 10 really really white wirey hairs (is this really a bad thing to do?) from my part and there's still more. I'd say the grey hairs have about 1-2 inches of white at the tip. There's also a good deal of hair that is in the in between stage...not quite grey, but not my actual color. I don't think it is noticeable at this point...but it still worries me. Anyone else go grey relatively young?? How long did it become noticeable after you noticed the first few? Does anyone have any tricks for when your hair quality changes (there are lots of little wirey hairs coming in that won't behave)? I've made an appointment with my doctor, as I've read that pre-mature greying can often be a sign of an underlying health problem so I just want to get checked out in case something is wrong. From what I've read it is not reversible once it starts, but I figure better to be safe than sorry. Its just kind of shocking to me...it was never anything I really thought about until I found the first few. Thanks all!

Feb 9th, 2008, 01:22 AM	#2
doulosforhim Member Location: New Jersey	Re: Grey hair in Early 20's Hi i started in my late twenties but only had a very few. i found that while i visibly noticed them, it was not noticeable to others. at first i would pull them out until i started dying it, which after a while felt silly for just under a handful of strands. I am currently on harsh meds which cause hairloss, so i neither pull them out or dye my hair. I need to preserve every hair strand wether grey or not...lol Its a good thing your are going to the doctor.At least you will find out about your health. Did anyone in your family go grey at an early age? I could be wrong but i thought i read it can be familial.. I know my dad went totally grey in his early twenties too, so it really was of no surprise when i discovered it. Hopefully everyone will soo chime in and share their opinions and knowledge. but i would not continue to pull them out. Best of luck.

Feb 9th, 2008, 05:57 AM	#3
MichelleAntonia An InBetweener Location: East Bay, CA	Re: Grey hair in Early 20's a few grays in your 20's is completely normal, that's what i'm told. i think it's only a sign of a problem if there are a lot and they start appearing suddenly. i have a few i pluck out. __________________ Some of the hardest things are easy to achieve with patience

Feb 9th, 2008, 06:01 AM	#4
MichelleAntonia An InBetweener Location: East Bay, CA	Re: Grey hair in Early 20's found this: "The first onset of gray hair and the speed at which people go gray varies considerably from person to person. Most people actually start going gray in their late 20s but they don't notice it immediately. Premature graying is defined as gray hair onset before late teens for Caucasians and before age 30 in Africans and Asians, or alternatively 50% or more gray scalp hair before age 50. The time and speed of gray hair onset is due in part to genetics, and early onset gray hair development can run in families. Incidence; Causes & Development Very occasionally, a few gray hairs can develop in children as young as 8 years and yet it indicates nothing other than an early onset of the gray hair that we all develop with increasing age. 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]. As a rough guide, 50% of the population in the US and Europe have 50% gray hair by age 50. Gray hair is caused by the gradual reduction of melanin production over time within the affected hair follicle. The melanocytes in the hair follicles produce less and less melanin, and the result is a loss of hair fiber color strength. What we call gray hair is not gray at all if you look at the individual hair fibers. Some hair fibers will contain some color while others are virtually white. What we describe as gray comes about from our perception of the overall scalp hair color. Blondes are most likely to develop a completely white head of hair in old age because their hair fiber has a very low density of pigment in it to start with. Signs & Symptoms The most common areas on the scalp in which to first see gray hair development are above the ears and/or at the temples. This first gray hair may spread around the sides and to the crown with time. Gray hair development in the beard and mustache may also start quite early, while gray hair on the chest and pubic region generally only occurs some years after onset of gray hair on the scalp." hope that helps! __________________ Some of the hardest things are easy to achieve with patience

Feb 9th, 2008, 08:26 AM	#5
PrincessMe La Fabuleuse Location: In the Fab Lane	Re: Grey hair in Early 20's i started to get gray hairs when i was 12. i was really under aloy of stress then and after awhile they went away. before my wedding a few years ago they came back again alot & i was def stressed then too so maybe it is true that stress contributes to grays. after wedding they went away again. now im in my late 20's and i have seen a random few. ita with everything u wrote, i'd hate to dye my hair just for a few strands...i heard about a new product called i think root touchup from l'oreal..im not sure of the name exactly but its something like that...another thing ive heard of is getting high lites bc that camoflauges them better.. jennifer lopez said she went gray went she was 19 __________________ www.theadventuresofmee.blogspot.com Dream Bag: Mirage Griet

Feb 9th, 2008, 09:05 AM	#6
moogle Member	Re: Grey hair in Early 20's I started getting grays in the front of my hair in my early 20s. Luckily, they weren't the coarse, wiry kind. They were the same texture as my normal hair. Over a few years, those few hairs turned into a gray streak, which I used to fight!!! I finally gave up, and let the streak win. Hairdressers kept telling me "People pay to have those put in!". After I finally accepted it, I got to like it. People thought I paid to have it added.....I was like, um, no - that is the only natural color on my hair. (I did get my hair dyed, but left the streak color free - it wouldn't hold color well anyway.)

Feb 11th, 2008, 10:29 AM	#7
ambrosia Member	Re: Grey hair in Early 20's Thanks everyone...I feel a lot better after reading your posts. No one in my family went grey until they were in their 40s...so we will see what happens. It doesn't seem like the end of the world as much anymore. Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences!

Feb 12th, 2008, 05:42 AM	#9
partridge Member	Re: Grey hair in Early 20's Hi everyone, I had greys in my 20s too. I'm now in my early 40s and recently noticed tons more greys coming in, underneath and behind my ears and temples. I've been coloring my hair but it's a chore! Someone told me that chelated copper supplements can help reverse grey hair. I've been taking them for about 3 weeks. Haven't noticed any changes yet but I'm hoping! You can also try fo-ti (it's a chinese herb). And if you're young, these supplements will probably work faster and more effectively. They may prevent new greys from coming even if they don't actually restore your natural color. Well, it's worth a try :)

Feb 12th, 2008, 09:23 PM	#10
missmustard Prima Donna Assoluta Location: Monterrey, Mexico	Re: Grey hair in Early 20's I'm 25 and have several gray hairs along my part, too. I think mine are due to the fact that my mom started going gray at a young age as well. Nothing to worry about! __________________

Feb 12th, 2008, 09:38 PM	#11
juniormint Member	Re: Grey hair in Early 20's I started finding grey hair in my twenties also. I've read a couple of places that early greying can also be attributed to having consumed a lot of caffiene. Supposedly the caffeine has something to do with reducing calcium (maybe b/c you're not consuming much), and that in turn also causes a loss of melanin. I was/and have always been a big coke/diet coke drinker.

Feb 12th, 2008, 11:58 PM	#12
ScienceNerd Member Location: Jax	Re: Grey hair in Early 20's Gosh, I thought I was the only one! I just turned 20 a couple months ago and my part has been lined with grays. My aunt went full gray in her 20's so I'm definitely freaking out. I don't drink anything with caffeine and I'm not really stressed so I've just come to the conclusion that I'm screwed :-) __________________ Pretty much the biggest oddball http://www.myspace.com/jillian_godsdancingangel

Feb 13th, 2008, 12:34 PM	#13
bagaholic85 Member Location: i <3 ny	Re: Grey hair in Early 20's i thought i had one the other day, FREAKED out, ran to my mother hysterical and she pulled out a feather oops

Feb 13th, 2008, 01:48 PM	#14
ScienceNerd Member Location: Jax	Re: Grey hair in Early 20's bagaholic that's hilarious...wow never would have thought of that lol __________________ Pretty much the biggest oddball http://www.myspace.com/jillian_godsdancingangel

Feb 13th, 2008, 03:15 PM	#15
moi et mes sacs Science Geek!	Re: Grey hair in Early 20's early greying runs in my family on my fathers side. My sister is 42 and has a full head of grey hair. I have a few so I have had a lucky escape. Its not that bad. If you go for a semi permanent colour every eight weeks it will make your hair feel beautifully soft and you can vary the colour for a change if you like. Yes they can be a bit wiry but if they are few and far between it shouldnt be a problem.