# Not going gray as you age -- does it ever happen? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 22, 2008, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-going-gray-as-you-age-does-it-ever-happen/434523 "2008-01-22T17:24:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-going-gray-as-you-age-does-it-ever-happen/434523/1 "2008-01-22T17:24:56Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-going-gray-as-you-age-does-it-ever-happen/434523/2 "2008-01-22T17:50:20Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-going-gray-as-you-age-does-it-ever-happen/434523/3 "2008-01-22T18:32:24Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Solfy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Solfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Solfy)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-going-gray-as-you-age-does-it-ever-happen/434523/4 "2008-01-22T18:35:59Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![nofloyd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nofloyd/32/2870_2.png) [@nofloyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nofloyd)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-going-gray-as-you-age-does-it-ever-happen/434523/5 "2008-01-22T18:46:41Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-going-gray-as-you-age-does-it-ever-happen/434523/6 "2008-01-22T19:51:13Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-going-gray-as-you-age-does-it-ever-happen/434523/7 "2008-01-22T20:03:22Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-going-gray-as-you-age-does-it-ever-happen/434523/8 "2008-01-22T20:23:17Z")
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). ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-going-gray-as-you-age-does-it-ever-happen/434523/9 "2008-01-22T20:37:59Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-going-gray-as-you-age-does-it-ever-happen/434523/10 "2008-01-22T20:59:20Z")
[Crispin Glover](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crispin_Glover), the incorruptable man. ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-going-gray-as-you-age-does-it-ever-happen/434523/11 "2008-01-22T21:16:52Z")
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).