The Average Age for Gray Hair

While there are many reasons why the graying process can begin, the most common is tied to aging. “Going gray is a normal part of the aging process,” says Nexxus hair-care partner and celebrity stylist Lacy Redway. “Aging is a beautiful part of the cycle of life so the loss of pigment in your hair should not be discouraging. You can lose pigment in your hair early on based on other factors and health-medical conditions like thyroid issues as well as high-stress levels, vitamin deficiencies, and your environment can all affect the loss of pigment in your hair.”

As for why more people are starting to embrace going gray rather than covering it with hair dye: “I think it's mainly because people are realizing that they're not alone,” says certified trichologist Angela Onuoha, who is also a Rhyme & Reason hair-care expert. “Also, coloring gray hair is really high maintenance and a lot of the time also results in hair damage which is not something that everyone is willing to sign up for.”

According to Onuoha, scalp, and hair professionals divide graying into three categories: “We break the process of going gray into early, average, and late graying,” she explains. “Early graying can occur in the 20s to 30s; average graying is in the 40s; and late graying starts in the 50s and beyond.” Although this timeline is used by pros, many experts also say that for many of the clients that they see day-to-day who have some early signs of gray it tends to occur on the earlier side. “Gray hair can appear at any age, however, what I have seen is that the average age gray hair starts is in your 30s,” notes Devin Graciano, professional hair stylist and chief product officer at Goldie Locks hair care.

What Makes Hair Go Gray

“Melanin and your genetic code are the main factors in determining what your natural hair color will be,” says Colin Ford, professional hair stylist and education director at Sachajuan hair care. “As we age, less melanin is produced, which means a lack of pigment in the hair, resulting in a silvery-gray color.”

Ford explains that hair research suggests that “after age 30, there is a 10 to 20 percent decrease in the amount of melanin produced for each following decade, and by age 50, half of men and women will have at least 50 percent gray hair,” he says.

Onouho points out that going gray is inevitable. “Everyone's hair goes gray after a while—this is just a natural process,” she says. “Graying is primarily linked to genetics and ethnicity—for example, Caucasians are more likely to start going gray earlier than other ethnicities.” However, she notes, there are other reasons other than age or genetics that you may see subtle or more extreme graying. “There is also what we call premature graying, which can be due to several factors such as stress, hormonal imbalances like hyperthyroidism, malnutrition as in poor diet or gastrointestinal problems as well as pernicious anemia,” she explains.

Gray Hair vs. Naturally Colored Hair

The obvious difference is the lack of color but other characteristics come into play when hair turns gray making it different from the other strands that have maintained their pigment. “Gray hair may also be missing the cortex, which is the innermost layer of the hair strand, or develop a sort of spongy center,” says Graciano. “Gray hair may also not have as strong or not as many cuticle layers as your hair once did, making it prone to frizz and manageability issues may arise.”

Because of these factors, Ford explains that the texture of gray hair is noticeably different to the touch as well as in terms of how it can be styled and moved. “Gray hair is naturally drier and lacks the natural shine that natural hair color has,” he says. “As a result, often it can feel more coarse to the touch and more difficult to style.”

Factors That Speed Up Graying Hair

Although genetics are the underlying factor for exactly when you go gray and how fast, other elements could contribute to speeding up the process of going gray. For example, stress could play a role. “The main thing that would speed up going gray in some cases is stress,” says Ford. How you treat your hair over time is also important: “Chemical treatments can damage the production of pigment in your hair and permanently alter the state, or your environment, and UV rays from the sun can speed up the process of going gray,” explains Redway.

Other factors tie back to lifestyle choices and habits. “The cause of your gray hair could be diet, genetics, or lack of antioxidants or certain minerals that could speed up the process,” Graciano explains. “A stressful lifestyle in any capacity will impact the speed in which you go gray.”

Products for Gray Hair

Caring for gray hair is easier than ever. “There are better products on the market than ever before that are specifically designed with gray hair in mind to help build confidence around the idea,” explains Redway.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Are there specific ways that I should care my gray hair?

  “The main thing for caring for gray hair is to use a shampoo and conditioner that will add moisture and shine,” says Ford. “And from time to time it is good to use a neutralizing violet based shampoo and conditioner  to eliminate any yellowing that can occur in graying hair.”

• What role does scalp health play in the texture of gray hair?

  Going gray can also mean your hair feels coarser. “This has to do with aging because as we age our scalps tend to produce less oil which are designed to protect the hair and give it a softer moisturized feel,” says Onuoha. Give your scalp extra TLC with moisturizing serums and treatments to promote a healthy scalp. 

• What should I avoid when it comes to my gray hair?

  According to Onuoha, the number one rule: don't pull them out. “Continuously doing this will over time lead to hair thinning since you're constantly damaging the hair follicle by pulling it out, resulting in the hair overtime not growing back again,” she explains. Redway recommends “reducing heat styling and protecting hair as it can alter the color and texture as well as try to avoid chlorine in water as it can tint your color,” she says.

• How long does it take from the first gray hair to going full gray?

  “On average between five and 10 years,” says Onuoha. “Some gray quicker, some gray slower—but the first initial signs are that a couple of them occur which are not that obvious, then slowly the gray hairs become more prominent making the darker hairs appear less, so it kind of switches to the other way around.” The time frame for graying is one hundred percent based on the individual.

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