I just saw a local news segment on TV that featured an interview with an elderly lady in a hospital bed. The gal had to have been in her 80s, certainly no younger than her 70s. The otherwise serious interview was made comical (to me at least) by the woman’s dense helmet of glaringly jet black hair. She obviously dyes her hair or was wearing a wig.
Or, maybe not, I thought. Is it an ironclad given that one’s hair turn gray as one ages?
Thanks all, in advance.
My mother is 76, and although she now has some grey hair (her recent cancer and heart issues and stroke have taken their toll), most of her hair is still a rich dark brown. She has a great deal of chemical sensitivity, so she couldn’t dye it if she wanted. In fact, she has a hard time finding champoo she’s not allergic to. Her mother, OTOH, was pure white by the time she was 30.
StG
My father is 74 and only started to go gray in the last few years. His hair is still 90% the same dark brown it always was.
My grandfather is pushing 80 and still has a fairly full head of jet black hair. He does not dye it. My mother cites his native american heritage as the source.
My dad’s hair didn’t start turning gray until around 80. He’s just shy of 90 now and it’s finally mostly gray. He never went bald either.
My great uncle turned 100 years old last week. While much of his hair is gray, he still has obvious reddish-brown streaks through it.
My great-grandmother died at age 85 and had mostly black hair. She didn’t dye it. She had a little grey on the sides and that was about it.
Somewhat related…
When I was around 40, I started to get gray…especially around the sides.
It then went away. I’m 44 and no gray…
I still expect to go gray though {heh, that’s fine so long as it is THERE :D}, but it seems like it can come and go (at least in my case).
Some people turn gray from the top down, and others from the chin up. Many men have gray or white beards, while the top retains its original color. Obviously, if he doesn’t have facial hair (or if “he” is a “she”) we assume that the person’s not turning gray. This is the case with me. I’m 62, and I have a gray goatee and lower sideburns, but on the top I’ve got maybe 3-4 gray hairs.
Crispin Glover, the incorruptable man.
My grandmother died at age 90 and she had more black hair than white. My mother has pretty much no gray at 64. My 38-year-old brother has more gray than she does (he takes after dad’s side of the family that goes gray early).