# Your first grey (or white) hair -- how old? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 16, 2000, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-first-grey-or-white-hair-how-old/41527 "2000-11-16T23:07:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-first-grey-or-white-hair-how-old/41527/21 "2000-11-17T03:14:01Z")
Found the first one when I was 20. I was getting ready for a wedding in my roommate’s parents’ house, which is rather out in the country. I screamed when I saw it in the bathroom, and my roommate’s mom came running. She thought a snake had crawled up through the toilet and scared me. That immediately made me forget the trauma of the white hair, because I was now screaming “you mean you have snakes that crawl up through the toilet???” ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Incognito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guy_incognito/32/3920_2.png) [@Guy\_Incognito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Incognito)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-first-grey-or-white-hair-how-old/41527/22 "2000-11-17T04:35:42Z")
I was 17 when I spotted my first gray hairs. Now I’m becoming naturally aerodynamic through male pattern baldness. ---
**Author:** ![Eo\_Echo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ebca7d/32.png) [@Eo\_Echo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eo_Echo)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-first-grey-or-white-hair-how-old/41527/23 "2000-11-17T05:16:47Z")
I spotted my first when I was 21. Oddly, I now have a couple, but they’re only in my goatee, none on top of my head. ---
**Author:** ![purrplebear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90ced4/32.png) [@purrplebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purrplebear)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-first-grey-or-white-hair-how-old/41527/24 "2000-11-17T07:49:39Z")
17 when I found my first one. ☹ Ran home crying to my mom. She said “Are you sure it’s yours?” Showing her the 2ft long hair, I said YES! Now, _mumble_ years later, my hairdresser says I’m between 60-70% white. Since it only makes me look old \ right now, I’ll keep on dyeing it to match my natural color, well, close to what my natural color was in high school. I mean, do you have any _idea_ how embarrassing it is to be sitting on the bleacher watching your 8yr old son play Little League, and have your 5yr old daughter be standing up walking around, suddenly exclaim loudly that she sees a white hair on Mom’s head? Then, she proceeded to count them! One, two, three, four, I see lots and lots of them, Mommy! :eek: Went right to the store after the game, and I’ve been dyeing it ever since. And when my hairdresser tells me that I’m about 80% white, I’ll let my natural color come back gradually. At the rate I’m going, that should be in about 3-4yrs. At least I’m ahead \ of my Dad, who was completely gray by the time he was 30. \ Btw, Mr Bear finally has some, though they’re almost entirely in his mustache, beard and chest hairs. He looks so cute with them too, and I’m just glad that he’s finally catching up to me, since he _is_ older. The only thing is the right side of his 'stache is almost completely white, while the left side is very red and white mixed. A little lopsided, that, but it makes him that much more kissable to me. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Alantus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a6a055/32.png) [@Alantus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alantus)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-first-grey-or-white-hair-how-old/41527/25 "2000-11-17T08:55:22Z")
Come on now, nobody comes close to me in this category. I was 14. 26 now and its showing up rather rapidly, I expect to be fully grey by 30. Alantus ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-first-grey-or-white-hair-how-old/41527/26 "2000-11-17T13:25:55Z")
I’ll be 47 in January - I’ve not seen one yet. I’m surprised, because my mom had a good bit of gray at 40. My hubby, however, has a LOT of white in his beard and a lesser amount on his head - he’s 44, but he was in his 30’s when we spotted the first traces. So when he rags on me about being older than he is, I can point out that I don’t have any gray yet… My hair is light anyway, so I doubt that I’ll color it when the time comes… ---
**Author:** ![Sister\_Vigilante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Sister\_Vigilante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sister_Vigilante)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-first-grey-or-white-hair-how-old/41527/27 "2000-11-17T14:37:54Z")
I’m 29, and haven’t seen any yet. However, I’ve been highlighting and otherwise coloring my hair for about 4 years now. Nevertheless, my mother is 52, and she has so few that she could pluck them out if she wanted. Same with Dad (55). Mr. Grey is 34, and he has what would be described as “salt & pepper” hair, except that he’s blond, so it’s not as dramatic. He claims he got that way after marrying me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![corvidae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@corvidae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corvidae)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-first-grey-or-white-hair-how-old/41527/28 "2000-11-17T18:18:09Z")
I was born with a grey hair. No mistaking it, since the rest of it was dark brown. Does that count? ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-first-grey-or-white-hair-how-old/41527/29 "2000-11-17T18:26:53Z")
1. I discovered it the exact same day my first Mortgage payment was due. My wife thought that was pretty ironic. We put it in a little baggy with a note describing the signifigance of the date, and put it in our safe. ---
**Author:** ![JuanDeCuba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a87d85/32.png) [@JuanDeCuba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JuanDeCuba)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-first-grey-or-white-hair-how-old/41527/30 "2000-11-17T19:42:25Z")
I’m 19 and I found a 3 ionch gray hair in my goatee last month. Only 4 more months until I dye the whole thing blue. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-first-grey-or-white-hair-how-old/41527/31 "2000-11-17T19:58:26Z")
I was 10. I hit my head on a curb (long story) and the hair at the point of impact has grown in white ever since. I was the only kid in 5th grade with grey hair. The streak is still there, it’s kind of cool, but since I dye my hair I don’t see it very often. I don’t dye to hide my grey streak- if I could leave it and dye the REST of it, I’d be just as happy! ---
**Author:** ![Nimue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d26b3c/32.png) [@Nimue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nimue)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-first-grey-or-white-hair-how-old/41527/32 "2000-11-19T12:15:46Z")
I discovered a white eyelash at age 17. It’s still there, or at least its replacements always grow back white. I also now have a white eyebrow hair almost directly above it. I wouldn’t know about the rest of my head, seeing as how I’ve been colouring my hair for years now. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-first-grey-or-white-hair-how-old/41527/33 "2000-11-19T12:57:06Z")
I was 22 when I discovered my first grey hair, _and now I’m completely bald at 36!!!_(shaved head :D) ---
**Author:** ![Carina42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Carina42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carina42)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-first-grey-or-white-hair-how-old/41527/34 "2000-11-19T12:58:59Z")
pkbites \>\>The odd thing is I have very, very few grey ones in my full head of hair, but they are all over in my beard and chest. Whats up with that?\<\< My SO, at 48 has perhaps seven grey hairs on his head. (I’m jealous!) However when he doesn’t shave for a few days you can tell alot of his facial hair is grey, same on his chest. I think its sexy. I found my first one at 27, & spent alot of time holding it up to the light trying to convince myself it was blonde…I have red hair. Ha. I’m 42 & dye my hair now. I think you people who actually saved your first grey hair are weird. ---
**Author:** ![woolly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ebca7d/32.png) [@woolly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woolly)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-first-grey-or-white-hair-how-old/41527/35 "2000-11-19T13:07:04Z")
White hair started to appear around age 20. As my maternal grandfather was totally bald by 24, I reckon I’d done pretty well! ---
**Author:** ![pezpunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@pezpunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pezpunk)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-first-grey-or-white-hair-how-old/41527/36 "2000-11-19T14:38:50Z")
I was about 14 or so. I didn’t really care. Still don’t. My mom once told me that gray hair on guys makes them look distinguished. Her example was Phil Donahue. Go figure ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-first-grey-or-white-hair-how-old/41527/37 "2000-11-19T14:41:33Z")
I found my first a couple of months ago and started this exact thread (I’m 22). I’ve since found about five or six. I pluck them all out not because I’m vain, but because they’re neat to examine closer. Seriously. Finding out that I’m not an abnormal freak was somewhat comforting, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![lolagranola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ea5d25/32.png) [@lolagranola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lolagranola)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-first-grey-or-white-hair-how-old/41527/38 "2000-11-19T15:23:55Z")
I’m 29 and I’m still waiting. My brother and sister both started to go quite grey in their early 20’s. My dad didn’t really start until he was nearly 60. I have no idea what to expect. ---
**Author:** ![zenith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zenith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zenith)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-first-grey-or-white-hair-how-old/41527/39 "2000-11-19T18:47:11Z")
I first noticed a few when I was about 7. When I was 16 I decided to count how many I had. I found over 200 in a patch about 1" by 2" and decided I really didn’t want to know. I dye it now, it’s probably 75 to 85 per cent grey. ---
**Author:** ![sulawesi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@sulawesi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sulawesi)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-first-grey-or-white-hair-how-old/41527/40 "2000-11-19T21:11:24Z")
I was 13 and I found five of them. Strangely, now I can’t find any at all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-first-grey-or-white-hair-how-old/41527.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-first-grey-or-white-hair-how-old/41527.md?page=3)