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Premature Graying: Reasons, Options

Experts explain why some of us are destined to sport the 'distinguished' look at an early age.
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By Daphne Sashin
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

Salt and pepper, silver, pewter, charcoal. Whatever you call it, gray hair happens to all of us at some point. But why do some people go gray in their 20s, while others don’t see the first sign of silver until age 50? And if you’re going gray early, what should you do about it?

WebMD spoke to gray hair experts about the science behind premature graying, possible health concerns, and advice for every stage of the process.

woman looking in mirror

What’s 'Premature'

Hair goes gray when color-producing cells stop producing pigment, says Jeffrey Benabio, MD, a dermatologist at Kaiser Permanente in San Diego, Calif. Naturally occurring hydrogen peroxide can also build up in the hair, bleaching the color.

Typically, white people start going gray in their mid-30s, Asians in their late 30s, and African-Americans in their mid-40s. Half of all people have a significant amount of gray hair by the time they turn 50.

A white person is considered to be prematurely gray if his or her hair turns gray by age 20; gray before 30 is early for African-Americans.

Medical Problem?

Contrary to popular belief, stress has not been definitively shown to cause gray hair. Scientists don’t know exactly why some people go gray early, but it’s largely determined by genetics.

Some autoimmune and genetic conditions are associated with premature graying, including vitiligo, Werner syndrome, and alopecia areata - which causes only the colored hairs to fall out and look like the hair turned white overnight, Benabio says.

A vitamin B-12 deficiency or problems with the pituitary or thyroid gland can cause premature graying that’s reversible if the problem is corrected, Benabio says.

Some research has suggested a connection between premature graying and lower bone density later in life. However, a 2007 study of about 1,200 men and women in Rancho Bernardo, Calif., showed this not to be the case.

“Your level of bone density is all related to activity level, your weight, your height, your ethnicity. It’s not really related to your hair or the things controlling the color of your hair,” says researcher Deborah J. Morton, PhD, an epidemiologist at University of California, San Diego.

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