[Espy]

...Yeah. That. I'm a bit weirded out. Granted, this is the longest my hair's been since maybe ten years ago, but it doesn't look unhealthy, and the tips that are graying aren't damaged or have split ends.

Shouldn't hair gray from the roots? -narrows eyes at strands of hair- ...I'm suspicious of you.

...I'm not even 25 yet. Why meee.

[Tohopekaliga]

I'm pretty sure that's how it works, yeah. But my hair's never been more than 6" long.

That, and I've had at least a few grey hairs since I was 17.

[SparX]

Hey it's totally gonna be next years style watch and see espy your gonna be a trendsetter ;D

[Glitch]

I started getting some gray hairs in my bangs when i turned 22 :(

[Tiva]

Didn't you bleach your hair at one point? Maybe it is just left over from that?

[Poggio]

you sure its not paint?
Also I have had my gray hair since I was legal. They are currently blond right now since I dyed my hair with henna instead of out right color.

[Fulkth]

That's a very good question. My husband's hair is graying and he's only 27.
I try not to make fun of it too much in case he gets butthurt. XD

[Lawtan]

Originally Posted by Tiva

Didn't you bleach your hair at one point? Maybe it is just left over from that?

This was my thought.

To be honest, I've been losing hair since I was 16 due to stress.

[Konzern]

My sister is 16 and she has several gray hairs. Not in clumps or strands, but when brushing it you can notice the gray.

Of course, she's excited about it, so there's no complaining on her part. But the whole strand is gray, not just the tips.

[Espy]

Originally Posted by Tiva

Didn't you bleach your hair at one point? Maybe it is just left over from that?

Nope, not left over from that. My hair bleaches to a dark gold. This one was almost transparent silver. (Also, I'm pretty sure most of the bleached parts are long gone by now.)

Originally Posted by Poggio

you sure its not paint?
Also I have had my gray hair since I was legal. They are currently blond right now since I dyed my hair with henna instead of out right color.

Definitely not paint, or any other art media :P Haven't done art for a...while.

Whoa, you can dye with henna? That's really interesting. How does that work? Why does it turn blond?

Originally Posted by Lawtan

This was my thought.

To be honest, I've been losing hair since I was 16 due to stress.

DAMMIT LAW

...actually, I'm not one to talk. Haha. Hah. But yeah, I noticed that was pretty bad a couple years back, too. I think Vit B is supposed to help?

[Poggio]

@Espy: Because using henna, is like using Watercolor versus acrylic. It just a stain and takes a while to build up. I mostly use henna to strengthen my hair and naturally relax the curls I have. If you do it consistently over time, the color plus the layers will dye your hair a nice red auburn. Well at least me it is since my hair is naturally black, the gray strands dyed faster. But I haven't done it in months so it washed out to blonde.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2KSno_mt7E

[Lawtan]

Originally Posted by Espy

DAMMIT LAW

You'll forgive me for giggling like a loon at that.

From what I am seeing, it's something like "the stuff responsible for hair color died off, but were replenished/replaced."

[Espy]

Originally Posted by Poggio

@Espy: Because using henna, is like using Watercolor versus acrylic. It just a stain and takes a while to build up. I mostly use henna to strengthen my hair and naturally relax the curls I have. If you do it consistently over time, the color plus the layers will dye your hair a nice red auburn. Well at least me it is since my hair is naturally black, the gray strands dyed faster. But I haven't done it in months so it washed out to blonde.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2KSno_mt7E

Ooh. My hair's naturally a dark, almost-black brown. I'm guess the henna won't have any effect unless I bleach first?

Originally Posted by Lawtan

You'll forgive me for giggling like a loon at that.

From what I am seeing, it's something like "the stuff responsible for hair color died off, but were replenished/replaced."

Hm...but /why/?

[Coda]

If I had to guess:

When melanin breaks down, it loses its pigment. Living cells will regenerate the melanin when they get damaged (which is why people tan in the sun) but hair isn't made of living cells.

The longer your hair is, the more time the hair has to get damaged -- sunlight, shampoo, sweat, whatever. The oldest part of any given strand of hair is the tip.

So if you have the kind of genetics that would make your hair predisposed towards going gray, then your hair might do that even if you're still producing dark hair.

[Lawtan]

From an article I read while looking it up, it could be anything from a temporary nutrient deficit to the particulate matter in the air...

Edit: or what Coda said.

[Espy]

Huh, okay, that makes sense. Thanks.