Is it that unusual to be grey in 30s?

[Spanakopitas]

I've been getting grey hairs since I was 22. I'm just about to turn 32 now, I don't have that much still but I have got several strands of grey all over. My hair is very dark brown naturally too so it shows more.

Anyway a colleague has said to me on the shift in shock 'I can see grey hair at the back of your head!! Are you going grey?!"

I explained that I have been doing for the last 10 years. I feel a bit embarrassed that I was put on the spot. I dye it sometimes if I feel it's getting quite noticeable.

Is it that uncommon really? Maybe she thinks I'm younger than I am. Probably going to have many posts now from people saying they didn't get a single grey hair until they were 75!

How interesting, I hadn't heard that although my white-haired OH is rather deaf, but I’ve heard/read that all-white cats can sometimes be deaf.

First grey hairs at 19 and have coloured my hair since mid twenties. It runs in the family but skipped a generation - unfortunately not me

Thanks everyone, it's made me feel a bit better. I don't know why she had to point it out like that.

She's socially inept or just plain rude!

I had a few white hairs in my 30s but it really started showing in my early 40s. I've decided against dyeing my hair, just rely on a good cut and style, and keep my eyebrows dark so I don't look washed out.

Rude of your colleague to point it out like that!

I’m 29 and have a particular irritating patch of hair right at the front which just keeps spouting greys like crazy! I’ve also got dark brown hair so they’ve very obvious. I know you’re told not to pluck them out but I’m certainly pulling them on a regular basis.

I'm 35 and I have a few near the front of my head. I just dye them again when I feel they're getting too much. Other people don't seem to notice them as much I think they do when I've pointed them out.

I'm 32 and have quite a few. Noticed them when my roots grew out after lockdown and told my hairdresser in horror that I had my first grey.

Her response? That wasn't your first 😂

I found my first grey at 25.

Aged 33 I'm beginning to rock the white temples. Being quite fair the hairs aren't 'grey' they're a beautiful white.

My mum was almost completely grey by the age of 31, but she did have 5 kids and I've got none 🤷🏼‍♀️

Technically yes, it's unusual to have grey hair, at any age, full stop - most women dye their hair! I think in the UK only around 30% of women don't. So your colleague is probably just used to seeing unnaturally coloured hair rather than real hair.

Statistically speaking she probably dyes her own hair, so she may have a few greys herself and not even realise it!

I don't think it is unusual at all. Especially for brunettes. I'm 38 and have a fair amount of grey - my hair is light ash brown, I'm trying to grow out my natural colour as dye always turns brassy and yellow no matter what the original colour is. The grey sort of blends in so I'm not embarrassed - aging gracefully! I envy people who have that pure silver/white hair.

I always thought I’d be far too lazy to be bothered with dyeing my hair when it turned grey - such a commitment, in both time and money. My friend gets her roots done every three weeks, and her whole head every three months! It does look great though, and totally natural.

I had very dark brown hair, started going grey at 15. I’m mid 40’s now and fully salt and pepper. In fact an older lady stopped me to ask if I coloured my hair grey as she loved it and thought it must be dyed as I was too young to be grey 😁

So rude that she felt she needed to point it out to you! I’m 33 and have grey hairs, I think I have a lot more than I can see!

I think it’s uncommon but perfectly normal. I found my first grey at 17 and have had significant grey patches throughout 30s.

Wow that's interesting, I've never heard of this link before.
My mum went grey at a very young age and has hearing problems. I also started going grey from the age of 17 and I developed tinnitus and hearing loss after having my first child!

I’m 33 I’ve got a few grey strands of hair they are all in the front and like you they are more noticeable because I have dark brown hair I’m not bothered by them though but that could be because I was born with 1 grey hair at the front of my head so a few more makes zero difference to me but that’s just me I mean I shaved all my hair off during the lockdown I really don’t care about my hair because it’s just hair. Sorry if your colleague upset you though she really didn’t need to point out your grey hair that was really insensitive of her.

Started to notice I was going grey about 28, I'm about to turn 31 and dyed my hair today because I can't take it anymore. Others only see it if I point out but I see it all the time.

Same as you naturally dark haired.

I noticed greys around that age too but they were within my hair so not noticeable. I’m 33 now and I’d say the last 3 years I’ve noticed them closer to the roots at the top. I finally dyed them last weekend.

My dad is in his early 60s and has been dying his hair since his 30s.

Apparently people with really dark hair tend to go grey quicker.

I found my first white hair at 18 and by 22 was colouring my very dark brown hair . I gave up the dye at 49 and have been happily silver haired for nine years .

The genetic syndrome is Waardenburg Syndrome and covers a range of hearing and colour loss. The classic “badgers stripe” is something that actively makes me ask about hearing.
https://wiki.ubc.ca/images/3/3d/Waardenburg_Syndrome_Type_1_%28WS1%29.jpg

thats interesting I never knew that I was born with glue ear and it left me hard of hearing and I have to use a hearing aid I was born with a grey hair and I’ve started going more grey and I’m 33. If you do a google search there has been some research done into this and there is a condition that could cause it. I’ve not looked at any of the research.

My sister went grey in her early twenties. I'm 59 and have very few grey hairs and what I do have are not noticeable. Our mother was in her mid fifties when she started getting grey hairs, she has dark brown hair. My sister has light brown hair and mine is strawberry blonde. I think it is just a genetic lottery and not unusual to grey earlier than expected.

I started going grey in my teens. I'm mid 30s and have had enough of dying it so am going to grow it out and go grey. I have about 1cm of roots showing so a loooongggg way to go!

I'm totally grey now since I stopped dyeing around 5 years ago. I'm 38 now. Sometimes tips over into violets or silvers when I've overdone it on the purple shampoo. It's it much better condition since I stopped covering it up.

I started going grey at 17! I know a couple women who'd be totally grey by 30 if they didn't dye it.