A question for the silver-heads

[Rosamaria]

My question for all the silver-heads out there is: how long did it take from your first noticeable greys, to the point where you were almost all white?

I began to go grey about 6 years ago, but progress is very slow - I still look like a brunette from a distance and I'm wondering how long is it going to take?!

[W2]

It is so individual - mine first came when I was 14 - from age 18-19 I dyed and since may last year I haven't dyed - and are now about 50% on top and 30% in the neck. So it tolk 25 years to get to that - some go faster and some slower.

[Rosamaria]

Thanks W2, that is a lot longer than I was expecting, but now I know that my own slow progress is not unusual. If I take your experience as a base line, I will only look like a silver-head when I am 70!

Thats a long time, but I'll try to get on with other things while I'm waiting! ;)

[auburntressed]

My mom was in her late 30's when her hair first started to fade (not gray, fade, because she is a redhead). She is mostly blond now, but there are still darker hairs on the underside. She is 54 now. Though her hair was never really "dark" in the first place. I think it will be another few years before the underhairs lose pigment for her, so a total of about 20 years, I'd guess to go from completely red to completely strawberry blond.

ETA: My dad has coal black hair. I don't know when his hair first started to go gray, but it's still less than 50% gray right now. He started to go gray in his 20's, then found out he had some kind of vitamin deficiency. Started taking supplements, and his hair color came back. Now it's taking a loooong time to go silver.

[jeanniet]

I got my first gray hair at 26 and now at 53 I'm still only about 10% gray. My mother at 81 still doesn't have all white hair. A lot depends on genetics, so look at your mother, grandmother, and aunts and it'll give you a better idea.

[Teazel]

My first greys arrived in my teens, but they weren't really noticeable until my 30s. Now, at 47, I think I'm about 50% silver... anyway it's hard to say how long it takes, because hair might turn grey slowly for a while and then go quickly, and it's different for everyone. *shrug*

[coneyisland]

Mine has been changing slowly too. I found my first white hair already at elbow length about thirty years ago. About ten percent of my hair is gray to white now.

[Rosamaria]

Thanks for all your responses!

It seems to be quite a slow process for most people - which matches my experience. That's ok with me, I'll just try to enjoy the journey!:)

My journey is actually two-fold: I cut my hair short (because I stupidly thought that I shouldn't have long hair which was going grey :o) only to realise that I really don't feel comfortable, or truly myself with it short! So I am at the beginning of the slow process to grow it back :(.

Can't wait to be able to tie it back and put it up!

[dulce]

I had a white streak in my bangs at 35 and now at 60 only my bangs,and temples are white,with a slight smattering of silver on top of my head,my back hair is still all light brown.Don't know if I'll ever be all silver?

[spidermom]

It depends on the light for me. In my sig pic, I think I still look mostly blonde, but in this outside picture
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/spidermom/summerlength.jpg
I think it looks mostly silvery, plus there's still a trace of Punky pink in there.