Gray hair. What happened?

Icebreak

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What happened?

When I was a kid I had dishwater blonde hair. The strands were thin but the population was thick. As I got older my hair got a little darker and became light brown then finally medium brown. All it takes is a few days in the sun and it turns blondish again, I think because the individual strands are so thin. I like that. Or did.

Side story:

My job title is Senior Software Engineer. Really, that just means I'm a lead. I guess I'm OK at programming. I'm not kidding when I say my better accomplishments are through Divine intervention. Well, about three months ago, the division I work for instilled internal designations (not officially recognized by the main organization). I've been through that before in other organizations. Just movers wanting to be shakers. The upshot is that most programmers are now addressed as some sort of manager. Most of us have to rotate management duties, monthly, in a tier down pattern.

I have dubbed this the "Invisible Vortex Management System". Other peer SSEs have adopted this naming convention for ease of communication. In Arkansas, a Vortex is usually not something you want to be a part of. Basically we just try to ignore it but everyday, there it is, sucking as a Vortex should.

I told you that story so you would know I've been under some extra unnecessary stress.

Sooooo, getting on with it. I didn't get a haircut for 8 weeks. Saturday I finally got a cut. Nice haircut. Saturday night I took another shower and spruced up before we went out.

To my utter surprise I see many gray hairs in my temple area; I mean many, many silver hairs. What The What? How can that happen in two months? This is shocking.

What I really want to know about is my mental malfunction. I didn't expect this. My first reaction is that I don't need this. I don't want this. So, why is it that I like it? Why do I think it looks kinda cool?

Please do your best to make your comments as serious as possible. Any humor about this subject will be encouraged.

- Jeff
 

Greta

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I started finding lovely white strands amongst my flowing auburn locks when I was about 25. Yes, they are white... not grey... not silver... but pure white. I blame my mother. She began seeing the "salt" in her pepper hair when she was only 16. At first I fought it. Spent more money on hair dyes and visits to the beauty salon... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jpshakehead.gif Then I had my second child and just didn't have the time or money to "fight the whites" anymore.

Like you Jeff, one day I discovered a whole nest of the buggers at my temple... but only at one temple. So I consoled myself that I had not completely turned into Frankestein's beloved but only half way. And the white hair along my part started to resemble one of those very expensive frost jobs that women get. Again I consoled myself that God must love me as he was saving me money by giving me a "fashionable" hair-do for nothing! YAY God! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Then one day when I had too much time and money on my hands, I thumbed my nose at God and went and got it all covered up with a lovely dark auburn that matched my original color. God was not amused and decided that payback was in order for my blasphemy. My whites turned out purple.. but only for a few days. Then the color washed out of them completely and I had pure, blinding white strands weaving through my now very dark purple auburn hair. And there seemed to be at least 50% more of the whites now. So I apologized to God for thinking that I could do a better job with my hair than He could and since then, I have embraced my whites.
grouphug.gif


I have gone over 50% white now. I still only have one temple that is solid white. Every 6 months or so, I get a color weave of dark brown to brighten up what is left of my own color and to allow the whites to further shine in all of their glory. I even let my hair grow long to the horror of my more fashionable girlfriends who insist that I "do something with that grey hair!" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

No sense in fighting God on this front. He has quite the mischievious sense of humor in this area. Embrace your grey... and thank God each and every day that he decided to just turn your hair white for your stresses... instead of making it all go away! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 

jayflash

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Be glad you got away without grey for this long. I started sprouting white strands in my very dark hair while still in high school. 30 years later what's left of my hair is all white. Both my mother and paternal grandmother were white by the age of 30. Even my once very dark brown eyes have faded to greenish tan. I never knew THAT could happen - too much time outdoors?
 

PlayboyJoeShmoe

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I'm 44 and by somewhere in the late 30's I had the grey temples. It has propagated dowm my sideburns, my eyebrows, and most of my lip hair (can't figure out how to spell m********).

No way I'm fighting it. Too much trouble.

It helps that I keep a military cut.
 

Samoan

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I'm 36 this year and can count the number of gray hairs at my temples on one hand. If you can believe it, this drives me nuts. I actually want a little gray in my hair. When I was in Grad School I was the only one not turning gray. My buddies always said that was from a lack of stress. No progress on the dissertation = no stress I would imagine. ;-)

Now my goatee is another matter altogether. Several little grey rsacals in there

The woman who cuts my hair always says to me, "Don't worry about the color of hair, embrace the fact that at this age you have a full head of thick hair."

She makes a point!

-Fern
 

The_LED_Museum

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I just did a cursory check in a mirror, and did not see any grey hair. Not at my temples, not in my beard or moustache, not in the hair on my head. I'm sure I'll find some if I really look, but a cursory examination uncovered none.
 

LukeK

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Eh the others are right: You can't fight it. I believe I'm on schedule to start balding in my mid 20s. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif
 

ksbman

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I started getting gray hairs while in my early 20's. It has never really bothered me. I don't notice how gray I am when I look in the mirror. I still see a lot more brown than gray.

But when I get my haircut it seems that the majority of the cut hair that falls on the dark 'tarp' (what the heck is that thing called?) is gray.

At 47 my hair is still thick. No male pattern baldness, just a 'growing' forehead and silver hair. Both Grandfathers had lots of hair and it was all silver.
 

Double_A

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For me it started about 7 years ago, with a few strands of white mixed in with the blond, in the area of my temples. Then my hair started thinning to the point I should be wearing a cap outdoors. But the white seems to stay in that same general area so far, so I just trim my sideburns very short.

GregR
(50 in November)
 

Mark_van_Gorkom

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My Dad was as good as bald and white by the age of 25, so I counted myself lucky when my hair (an orangy-red Afro) only started thinning around 20. Most of it was gone shortly after 30, and then it started graying fairly suddenly , following a lot off stress at work. Now my beard is greying at 43 and I'm not happy about it, but I guess I'm lucky to have kept my own colour even this long.
As for those first gray hairs: they did diminish for a while when the stress got less, so there's hope for you yet, Jeff!
And yes, I've kept my hair real short ever since it started thinning; at least I can cut it myself now.

BTW the first time I got a sunburn on the top of my head came as a bit of a surprise...
 

Icebreak

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I've wondered if stress could cause graying. Y'all have confirmed it and so does the mirror.

Sasha -

That was one of the most entertaining posts I've ever read. I Chuckled all the way through it. I had to read it a couple of times. I think I've mentioned to you before that I think God has an outstanding sense of humor. Yes, I think he did a great job when he built you. Yay God! I will do my best to embrace the gray.

jayflash -

Your eyes changed color? I didn't know that could happen either. I've seen blue eyes change to green and vice versa in the course of a day depending on mood. A lady I work with has gold eyes, not light brown, gold. I had never seen that before I met her. She's a sweetheart but tells me her eyes get a bright yellow tint when she gets mad. Her family knows to avoid her when that happens. She also has pure white hair. This is an odd combination but she's very pretty.

PhotonBoy -

That sounds like fun to me. I promise I've been a good boy all year long.

PlayboyJoeShmoe -

See, I think that would look pretty sharp.

Fern -

I'm still not sure how to take this. It irritates me and I like it at the same time. Kinda like women. *Hopes Sasha doesn't read down this far*

Craig -

I liked it when your hair was red/orange and cyan. Light brown works for you though.

LukeK -

On an episode of I think CSI, it was pointed out that a lot of guys use a combination of Rogain and something else. Seems like a stinky and expensive waste of time but I don't really know. I'm for letting nature take its' course too.

Kieth -

Your growing forehead just means you are getting smarter every year.

GregR -

That sounds like a good plan.

Mark -

My grandfather on my mother's side had thick hair all his life. My grandfather on my dad's side had thinning hair. My pop went pattern bald in his thirties. He was in the military and kept it very short. Said he had "less over-head maintenance" that way. My oldest brother who is about 120 years old has a mop of brown hair. My other older brother in his fifties has the same hair as my dad but it didn't happen until he turned 50.

Your gray diminished when the stress was reduced? Very interesting.

Thanks everyone for your responses regarding this development. I guess it's time to get a little sports car. Now, where did I stash that extra 40K?
 

Wolfen

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Half my beard / mustache went grey. Not really sure when this happened. I'm forty and I'm just getting some grey in my hair, but I was suprised at my old man beard /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

kongfuchicken

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My hair is dark but I get a couple RED hair (no kidding! as red as it can be!) on my head from time to time. I mean, it makes wonder about the stuff I eat... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif
 

LifeNRA

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I am 35 and am probably at least 50% white headed. And as Sasha said mine is white not grey. I am also seeing more white in my beard everyday. I am also getting pretty thin on top. Funny thing about my hair is that as a boy I had the blackest hair you have ever seen. My Grandmother always said it was black as a crow /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif. People would come up to me in town and ask my mother if she dyed it. They would even touch it to see if it was real. I have some Cherokee Indian blood in me so I guess that was the reason for my hair being so black. But I am salt and pepper now and to be honest it does not matter. I keep my hair cut short anyway. Just as Mark Van Gorkom said though the first time I got sunburned on top of my head was a bit of suprise.
 

PlayboyJoeShmoe

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Even if I go solid white (and it will happen - trust me!) I seem likely to have a full head of SHORT hair (can't let it get very long now - it drives me bonkers!).

When I was younger, my beard and stache would be red. Go figure?

I admit I look pretty decent. And would look a TON better if I lost 20-30 pounds. But that is TOUGH!!!

I wear a 4 color desert camo hat when out in the sun for long.
 

raggie33

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i keep my hair very short . i use clippers with out the plastic part on it to cut my hair.so it is like 5 mm when i cut it .maybe shorter . i havent seen gray hair yet.
 

The_LED_Museum

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[ QUOTE ]
Icebreak said:
Craig -

I liked it when your hair was red/orange and cyan. Light brown works for you though.

[/ QUOTE ]
Within the next couple of weeks, I intend to dye my hair a slightly pinkish fire engine red (labelled as "RED PASSION" on the jar). It's for a parade at the end of June. By the end of summer, the color will probably have faded out to a very pale pinkish tint; my CPF hat should do a good job of hiding it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif And by Halloween or Thanksgiving, it should be back to light brown.
 

tvodrd

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My grandfather on my mother's side was pattern bald. My father was, and both my brothers are pattern bald. I'm not. (Somebody had it in for him?) As to the grey, as I have achieved official geezerdom, oh well. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Larry
 
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