When did you start going white/grey and what did you do about it?

[Awkwardsis]

I'm only just 30 so in my mind a little spring chicken. But in the last 3 days I've found 4 pure white hairs on my head. I've never dyed my hair and am a mid colours brown that has natural highlights so I do t th k its noticeable particularly, and the hairs I found were only very short compared to the rest of my hair, only about a third of the length.mDoes this mean that the new growth will start to come through white? I had thought I'd be very blasé when I started going white, but I'm too young for this damn it! But I also now I'm far too lazy to keep up any kind of dye job.do I just keep plucking at will??!

[PutOnAHappyFace]

I started at 19, I'm 27 now and dye it every 4ish weeks it's more annoying then anything. I tried to just pluck them out but it got to the stage id be bald if I done them all.

[Snowdown]

I'm 42 and I have a few greys, I intend to get good haircuts and let it go naturally. My mother is 82 and still dyes her hair - it looks a bit odd but she could never gather the courage to make the change and go grey.

[Pagwatch]

About 22 years old.

I had white streaks for a while but started dying it and still do now at 52.

[TeamWill]

I started going grey 20+
I have it dyed and highlighted by a colourist who specialises in older hair.
It will be a cold day in hell before I stop.

[17leftfeet]

First grey hairs in my teens and I used to pull them out

I'm now 35 and have to touch up my roots every 4 weeks

I'm thinking once I hit 40 I'll start letting them come through but I'm not sure

[Bonsoir]

I'm 47 and had highlights for the first time 4 weeks ago to hide the white.

[eurochick]

I got my first 3 at my A-levels at 18. I added a couple a year after that. They weren't really noticeable so I didn't do anything. In my mid-30s I decided there were enough to need covering. I tried a semi-perm dye, my scalp (always sensitive) went MENTAL. I then left it alone for a good while. When I tried again, I went for highlights (foils mean the dye doesn't touch my scalp). I've been doing that for the last few years. It takes AGES as my hairdresser plays hunt the grey to try to make sure the dye catches them all. The dye is matched to my hair colours (I'm also brunette with natural blonde highlights) so it looks really natural.

[MrsBrianODriscoll]

I found my first grey hair when I was twelve, had highlights by the time I was forty, and went blonde by 42. I have it done every five weeks, I am now totally grey and would like to experiment with being grey, but will have to wait for my Mother to die, as she is still blonde at 75 and has vowed to kill me if I show her up by being grey at 50.

[whitecat]

Early 20s and dyed it. Mind you I had always dyed it different colours - it was the height of Jerome bleach and crazy colour.
With hindsight I would have let the silver come through naturally rather than endlessly touching up roots over the years.
I bit the bullet a few years ago and decided to stop dyeing. It was agonising for a while. I tied it up a lot and wore hats until there was enough growth to get a chin length bob and grow from there. I still put bright coloured streaks in just not all over.

[Meglet]

Few grey hairs in my mid 30's, getting more obvious now I'm nearly 40.

I've never dyed my hair and have decided to let the grey graudually happen. The body shop rainforest shampoo has done wonders for my wavy hair too. I'm going to focus my anti-ageing regime on teeth, skin care and exercise instead of battling grey hair.

[crunchyfrog]

I am 36, a grey streak has appeared in the last 6 months at my cow lick/ parting. So far I like it! The rest of my hair is dishwater blonde with growing out gold bits from the summer.

[NoraRobertsismyguiltypleasure]

I got my first grey hair in the first month of being pregnant (32) - coincidence or a sign of things to come! DD is now 14 months and I have 3 more!
My Mum went completely grey by 40, I'm hoping that was mainly the stress of being married to and divorcing my Dad.

[BabyMummy29]

I think I was about 30. I used to get mine coloured at the hairdressers every 3 months but since I can no longer afford that, I do mine around every 8 weeks with Nice & Easy - with very good results. Goodness knows how grey I'd be if I didn't!

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

The odd one since I was 30. I'm nearly 47 now and it's still only the odd one, I pull them out (they really show as my hair is dark brown). Not sure what I will do when they start getting more prevalent, don't think I can face the hassle of regular colouring. I do use Lush Henna to give it a bit more oomph, but only about 3x a year.

[1974rach]

I'm 40 this year and I've just had the odd one or two previously. They are gathering speed though.

As long as I take after my dad and his mother I will embrace grey wholeheartedly. My dad's hair is the most gorgeous colour and my dgm had thick beautiful silver hair (and if I do take after them I shan't do a thing to hide it!)

[mypavlova]

Right about 40, the first greys sprinkled in. Started covering them and went darker all over recently and liking it. Wish I had take my hair darker ages ago.

[ShoeWhore]

First grey hairs at 23. Ignored them (and pulled a few out!) for about 10 years then decided they needed dealing with. My natural hair colour is a very very dark brown and the overall effect wasn't great.

Started having semi-permanent colour v similar to my natural colour every 6 weeks, noone realised I had dyed it but I had a lot of "you look well" type comments. I look much better with dark hair I think. I get the hairdresser to do it, have no idea how to choose the right colour myself!

[Saurus72]

I started noticing a few grey/white hairs in my mid 30s. I'm now 40, and a have a decent sprinkling. My hair is mid-brown, and I have had it highlighted and trimmed every 3 months or so for years and years. However, I have recently started re-thinking my approach as the grey is increasing, so I think I am going to have highlights every 6 weeks, and a trim every 3 months.

Can I, (based on bitter experience!), advise against pulling out the greys?! I used to do that, but what I found is that they re grow (of course), but then all you have is shorter grey hairs that kind of stick up, as they are wiry - really not a good look... So now I am letting them grow, but getting the bastards in the highlights. Kind of hard work, plus very expensive.

[RestingActress]

22 and with very dark hair, still dying it 22 years later and not yet ready to give up the fight

[AdoraBell]

I would have said 23 but I'm now thinking about the events in my life and it must have been closer to 19 when I noticed my first grey hair. In a panic I plucked it and then carried on doing so for about a week until I realized there was no way I could keep up with the rate at which they were appearing and life is too short to spend it looking for grey hairs.

Since that revelation I have done nothing.

DD1 was 3 when I noticed a white hair on her. Meh.

I posted on the "who wants to go grey with me" thread but haven't had a chance read through all the tips for dealing with grey hair, I will though.

[basia2]

I have black straight hair, and I began to get a gray/white streak at my left temple when only in my late twenties (my dad was the same).
Now 41, I have a less pronounced white streak at the other temple as well. Other than that, my hair is still dark and in good condition.
Sometimes I color it at home using a kit- it is simple to color already-dark hair a dark color. Foolproof. I use a dark brown tone.
But I am lazy and sometimes go six months or a year between colorings. In this time, my gray streaks grow out. I don't mind too much. My husband says it makes me look like Rogue from X-men, lol.
Then, when I feel like a change, I color it again.
I have never been that interested in hiding my age, and I don't have a problem with the gray hair, especially since I've otherwise held up well (face and body). I am not going to complain.

[Ohwhatfuckeryisthis]

17, but as I'm blonde it didn't worry me too much,apart from the sticky out ones. Dyed all sorts of colours, now I just leave it.
Dm though had jet black hair and went grey at 16, dyed for years, but went gradually more natural from her 50s on.
It's keeping the condition that's a pain.

[DanceWithAStranger]

I'm 40 with black hair- only a few greys but they really show. I'm not going to colour them, though. I blame my current job! I didn't have a single grey hair till I started it 2 years ago.

[NaffOrf]

I used to dye my hair when I was younger, but now that I've got a lot of grey (about 20% - I'm late 40s) I've stopped. I think dyed hair can look good, but grey roots are an abomination. My hair is shoulder length and swishy and I (and my hairdresser) think it looks great

I think hair looks better when you work with it, not against it. Fighting your hair is a mug's game - and ruinously expensive.