Anonymous wrote:I'm 48 and a brunette and I'm probably ~20% gray now. But I started turning gray after I had my 1st when I was 26. I have my hair done every 5-6 weeks. I've asked my DH when it's ok to go all natural - he jokingly (half serious) said not until our youngest is off to college.

My DH though is 52 and is maybe ~15% gray but his trimmed beard is 70% gray. Everyone remarks how good he looks and while I hate the double standard, I swear he is even better looking now than when we first met.

52 year old woman here whose youngest just left for college last fall - I'm still not emotionally ready to go all grey (although from a maintenance, time and cost standpoint I'd love to go all grey).

I think everyone who does it is awesome, and many look great. But if I am honest (and I will be bc this is anonymous), I have yet to meet a woman it isn't aging on. If I see a woman with a sleek silver bob, stylish clothes, etc., I still think she is much older than I am even if she is in her 40s!

Also, I am pretty low maintenance appearance wise when not at work or a nice dinner/event - I love to be able to pull my hair back into a ponytail or messy bun, wear little make up, etc. As others also pointed out, grey haired woman who do that look unkempt and/or washed out.

I'm 48 and a brunette and I'm probably ~20% gray now. But I started turning gray after I had my 1st when I was 26. I have my hair done every 5-6 weeks. I've asked my DH when it's ok to go all natural - he jokingly (half serious) said not until our youngest is off to college.

My DH though is 52 and is maybe ~15% gray but his trimmed beard is 70% gray. Everyone remarks how good he looks and while I hate the double standard, I swear he is even better looking now than when we first met.

Anonymous wrote:You guys are lucky. I’m a black woman, 37, and maybe 40% gray? It started in my mid 20s. Very common to to gray early in my family.

Similar situation. I'll be turning 36 this month. It started to progress quickly after 30 and I had more kids.

57 and a few gray that I can pluck when I see it. I have not started dyeing my hair yet but my sister has been mostly gray since she was 45. I got lucky with those genes.

Anonymous wrote:I’m 44 and so far just the occasional gray hair that I pull out. But I have dark auburn hair, and I’ve always heard that redheads don’t go gray early. I have no idea if there is any truth to this but I hope so.

Also 44 with a ton of curly auburn hair and was unpleasantly surprised to notice a whole bunch of gray (white) hairs once I started returning to the fluorescent lights of the office post pandemic (and after taking on a really stressful role). They’re still not very noticeable to others but I can probably find at least 10 or so in five minutes of looking. I’m still at the stage where I pull them out (<0.1%) when I find them. My twin sister with similar hair has zero.

Anonymous wrote:I’m amazed at how few are grey here. Those of you with a low percentage - do you still dye your hair (single process versus highlight)?

I’m 53 and like 95% gray - it started in my 20s.

57 and never died my hair. Still only a few grays

41, 10%. Blend it with highlights.

50, and around 10-15%. I have nearly black hair, so the contrast is very noticeable. It's enough to make me look witch-y and unkempt if I don't color it, and not enough to look like an intentional statement. Once I get closer to 50%, I'll stop coloring for good...

40, 0%. My mother never grayed, her parents didn't either even in their 90s so I don't think it's coming for me.

41 just a few, only happened this last year.

I'm 53 and it is hard to say because my hair is ash blonde. But I have big areas of it at my hair line, one on each side, I think it's pretty. Then I also have gray sprinkled throughout my hair, I'd say maybe 1/8 of it or so is gray? I'm not sure.

66.

Very little (like maybe 4-7%)

I’m 44 and so far just the occasional gray hair that I pull out. But I have dark auburn hair, and I’ve always heard that redheads don’t go gray early. I have no idea if there is any truth to this but I hope so.

44, 75% gray since my mid-30s. It’s generic and it stinks. I was a brunette but my scalp had an autoimmune problem triggered by dye so I had to give up hair color, which was tragic.

The hardest things to deal with are the texture and the lack of color around my face. It also bounces light in photos so I look way worse in photos than real life. I compensate with careful makeup, different clothing colors, and very sleek hairstyles, and resting cheerful face. No more messy buns or neutral facial expressions when I’m gray because it makes me look like a crazy lady instead of a low-maintenance woman. Luckily natural hair is becoming more common in my friend circles and industry, but I stand out at my kid’s activity and school because there are a lot of young or very made up moms there.

53, about 5 strands of gray. I have very dark brown hair.