Gray Hair at 23!!!???

Anna L · 09-30-2003, 01:00 PM

Hi,

I'm only 23 years old, and I already have gray hair. To make matters worse, it's located on the front of my hair line! This isn't something that runs in my family, so I'm guessing it's due to the PCOS. Does anyone else have this problem? Is there anything I can do?

I'd rather not dye my hair and get highlights, but I guess that's my only option.

Did anyone notice when they dieted (low-carbed) and exercised, and lost weight, if their gray hair went away?

Thanks

lovng1 · 09-30-2003, 01:02 PM

I also have gray hair on top I jye it Ive been having it about three years, but my father was fully gray by 30!!!!

Astrolaura · 09-30-2003, 01:32 PM

Gray hair runs in my family. My mother was totally gray by 40 and so was my grandmother. I've had some gray hairs since 24. Now that I'm 36, I'm mostly gray. You'd never know though, that's what hair dye is for

My sister is only 30 and has a ton of gray hair. You can really tell on her though, she has very dark brown hair. Mine wasn't as noticable due to my hair being blonde. Now it's auburn with no gray showing

No one can tell it's not my real color either.

Laura

Quote:

Originally posted by Anna L
Hi,

I'm only 23 years old, and I already have gray hair. To make matters worse, it's located on the front of my hair line! This isn't something that runs in my family, so I'm guessing it's due to the PCOS. Does anyone else have this problem? Is there anything I can do?

I'd rather not dye my hair and get highlights, but I guess that's my only option.

Did anyone notice when they dieted (low-carbed) and exercised, and lost weight, if their gray hair went away?

Thanks

KlassicalKat · 09-30-2003, 01:45 PM

I got my first grey (actually white!) hair when I was 18. It's funny looking back about how it was discovered, but NOT funny at the time. I was dating a creepy boyfriend and he was talking to me one day and suddenly reached over and plucked out a hair on my head and shouted, "Hey, look at this...you're goin' grey, granma!"

Needless to say, he was history after that!

Like most of the cysters here, mine was hereditary (my paternal grandmother went pure white very early). Sorry, from what I have read, once it turns, there is no going back.

I used to dye it, but now I am proud of my white hair and get LOTS of compliments on it...much more than when it was my mousey brown!

It may be hard to believe now, but you may grow to love yours, too.

Of course, I am older than you, but I do understand what a shock it was to get the white hair at such an early age!

Kathryn

Armastama · 09-30-2003, 04:33 PM

Ive been going grey since I was still in high school!! Just like most silver cysters here, its all in the genes. My dad was almost all grey in his 20s.

Unfortunately its either love it or dye it! theres no reversal. Kat, Ive seen your picture before and I think your hair is stunning!!! I remember thinking to myself "Whoa.. I hope mine hurrys up and goes all white like hers!"

Right now Im 30 and its very salt and peppery if left alone but I dye it when I get around to it every two or three months. I actually like the different highlights the grey provides. Hey, there are women out there spending $300.00 on a foil highlight job when I get mine out of a bottle for $9.00!!

score one for me.

KlassicalKat · 09-30-2003, 04:44 PM

Aww, thanks, Armastama,
Score another compliment for me!
Thanks, cyster! I bet your "highlights" are beautiful!

Kathryn

Astrolaura · 09-30-2003, 04:49 PM

That reminds me of a funny story. At my SIL's baby shower, a woman I'd never met before came up to me, touched my hair and said "It's such a gorgeous color, I wish I could have hair your color, but you just can't get color like that out of a bottle."

You sure can and I'm living proof

laura

Quote:

Originally posted by Armastama
Hey, there are women out there spending $300.00 on a foil highlight job when I get mine out of a bottle for $9.00!!

score one for me.

shorty1kanobi · 09-30-2003, 05:06 PM

I started noticing gray hairs around age 20 and couldn't believe it (one or 2 here and there). My hubby has always sworn that they were because I worry too much. Recently in a magazine (I think it was Lifetime but I'm not sure) I read that sometimes premature gray can be tied to hormonal imbalances or the thyroid. I'd been meaning to ask the gals here if they'd had any problems with premature grays.

Anna L · 09-30-2003, 05:55 PM

Astrolaura-

What brand and color do you use? I really like it!

Astrolaura · 09-30-2003, 06:36 PM

Hi Anna,

Thanks

I use Preference by L'Oreal, medium auburn.

Laura

Quote:

Originally posted by Anna L
Astrolaura-

What brand and color do you use? I really like it!

Sabbatath · 10-01-2003, 08:20 AM

I started getting gray hair when I was 27.

I'm almost 37 now. I dye mine now and have been for a long time once the gray hair started to spread. Most of mine seems to be at my temples, but I notice when the dye wears off and my roots are growing out, it's all underneath my hair on the top of my head. It's so weird, like you lift up the top layers and underneath it's all silver!
At least I am not my brother, he is 2 years younger than me and has it much worse. He has long hair and a big bushy beard and both are just shot through with gray and white. Funny how so many things seem to be fine for a guy, but not a woman huh?

FLA_Cyster · 10-04-2003, 12:21 PM

I'm 39, and have been going gray since I was in my early 20's. Mine is complety hereditary. My mother's side of the family all goes white very early. It is really funny, when ever there is a wedding in my family, you can always tell where my mother's relatives are, there is usually a table with a bunch of white-haired people sitting there - that's them! I have a first cousin that is about 3 years younger than me and he had that distinguished-looking-male gray at the sides of his head when he graduated from high school at age 18. (He thought it was great cause he could buy beer without getting carded!)

I started using temporary hair dye in my mid twenties, and that covered it well, and also you don't have a drastic new growth showing up since it all fades away gradually. And it is not as rough on your hair as permanent dye. Well, I've reached the age where I've got so much of it on top that is "resistant gray", that I am forced to use permanent dye now. If you need to use hair dye, I also love L'Oreal brand. There's someone at work I just started working closely with, who had no idea that I had grey hair and was using hair dye! She was really flabbergasted when I told her how much gray I have and that I have to use permanent hair dye.

Has anyone heard about vitamins that help reduce the amount of gray hair? I remember reading years ago about this, I think it was a B vitamin, but never new anyone that actually had any success with it.

tsstripp · 10-04-2003, 01:22 PM

I am with Sabbatath. When you lift up the top the underneath is all grey. I am 36 now and started greying in High School. I just change the color. I know its vain but oh well. The most disturbing thing for me is the grey hair down under. What do you do for that? You certainly don't want to dye it I don't think. Any suggestions.

Lucy · 10-05-2003, 08:33 PM

I beat you all, my mom found my 1st gray when I was 12. Yep that was 12. It runs in my family.

My sister looks like the Bride of Frankenstien she has two streaks at either temple going straight back my cousin has it the same way. That streak had to came from my dads side of the family, but early greys run on both sides of the family.

What really freaked me out is when my eyebrows started popping out grey hairs. That made me feel old. Just a few stray ones now and then but I pull them out right away.

My DF has been fully grey since he was 20, but of course he is just as vain as I am and you would not know either of us are grey. I went back to my childhood color of Red and he is coal black.

I'm now 34 and every 6-8 weeks I go religiously to the salon and have it done. I used to do it myslef and Astrolaura is right - Preference by L'Orealis the best. I just kept missing spots and would have uncolored streaks in my hair, so I gave up and let the professionals do it now.

jana1323 · 10-06-2003, 12:49 PM

I've been going grey since I was about 25. Grey hair runs in my family on my dad's side. He was totaly grey/white by the time he was 27. And my sister who is 37 has salt and peper hair. I've been dying my hair since I was about 20.