My hair is turning gray and feels like straw

  • Context: Medical 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Kutt
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Hair Turning
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the experience of premature graying of hair in a 25-year-old male, exploring potential causes, personal anecdotes, and varying perspectives on the normalcy of this condition. Participants share insights related to genetics, lifestyle factors, and psychological conditions, while also addressing concerns about hair texture changes.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that premature graying at 25 is unusual and could be linked to various factors such as stress, vitamin deficiency, genetics, and health conditions.
  • Others argue that it can be perfectly normal for some individuals to experience gray hair at a young age, citing examples like comedian Steve Martin.
  • A participant mentions that their hair began turning gray at 16, indicating that early graying can occur in some cases.
  • Concerns about the impact of generalized anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder on hair health are raised, with a suggestion to consider family history of premature graying.
  • Some participants recommend lifestyle changes and medical evaluations, such as blood work, to assess overall health and its relation to hair condition.
  • There are differing opinions on whether to dye gray hair, with some advocating for acceptance of natural aging processes.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on whether premature graying at 25 is unusual, with multiple competing views presented regarding its normalcy and potential causes.

Contextual Notes

Some discussions reference genetic predispositions and anecdotal evidence without confirming the validity of these claims. The conversation also touches on psychological factors and their potential influence on physical appearance, but these connections remain speculative.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals experiencing premature graying, those interested in the relationship between health and hair condition, and anyone curious about genetic factors influencing hair color may find this discussion relevant.

Kutt
Messages
237
Reaction score
1
I am a 25 year old male and my hair is starting to turn gray at a rapid pace and it feels like straw.

When I was in my teens, my hair was jet-black and very smooth and shiny, now it looks and feels completely different.

Is this unusual for someone my age?
 
Biology news on Phys.org
I'd say it's unusual, it could be due to a great variety of things. Stress, vitamin deficiency, genetics, disease, hormones, and other causes could contribute to the change in your hair. You should take the time to examine your lifestyle and maybe see a doctor to address your concern. According to some Googled statistics, about fifty percent of the population in the US has gray hair by the time they reach their fifties anyway.
 
phion said:
I'd say it's unusual, it could be due to a great variety of things. Stress, vitamin deficiency, genetics, disease, hormones, and other causes could contribute to the change in your hair. You should take the time to examine your lifestyle and maybe see a doctor to address your concern. According to some Googled statistics, about fifty percent of the population in the US has gray hair by the time they reach their fifties anyway.

Should this be happening at 25?
 
Kutt said:
Should this be happening at 25?
I don't think so, no, but it's usually benign.
 
My hair started turning slowly gray at 30. As Phion said, that can be attributed to a wide variety of causes.

My advice: try to get rid of anything toxic in your lifestyle and play the "Georges Cloney" card :-)

J.
 
I have generalized anxiety disorder which is compounded and amplified by severe obsessive compulsive disorder.

Could this have something to do with it?
 
Kutt said:
I have generalized anxiety disorder which is compounded and amplified by severe obsessive compulsive disorder.

Could this have something to do with it?

The first thing to ask is whether this runs in your family. I'd ask on both sides if there was a relative they remember who had the same thing happen.

I have read, but not confirmed, that people with Welsh ancestry have a proclivity to premature greyness, that this is common in Wales, meaning it's genetic and not the result of diet, stress, etc. You may simply have inherited such a gene.
 
The got my first gray hairs was when I was 16. Now I'm 62 and it has gotten progressively worse, but still only about 5%. At 16 I was too young to be bothered by this stamp of aging and now I'm too old to pretend that I'm too young for it.
 
Kutt said:
I am a 25 year old male and my hair is starting to turn gray at a rapid pace and it feels like straw.

When I was in my teens, my hair was jet-black and very smooth and shiny, now it looks and feels completely different.

Is this unusual for someone my age?
It can be perfectly normal. The comedian Steve Martin's hair started turning white in his late 20's.

People can get gray hair at any age. Some people go gray at a young age — as early as when they are in high school or college — whereas others may be in their 30s or 40s before they see that first gray hair. How early we get gray hair is determined by our genes.

http://kidshealth.org/kid/grownup/getting_older/gray_hair.html
 
  • #10
Looked in the mirror today and now it looks like I could have a receding hairline.

I hope I don't end up like Bruce Willis and have to permanently shave my head as a solution to balding.
 
  • #11
My advice is to not fight the gray. Don't dye your hair - it rarely looks natural. Yeah it kind of bites that it's happening so early. Just focus on things that you can control, like your fitness, your education, your manners, etc.

There are medically effective treatments for balding. But there is nothing unattractive about a shaved head, IMO.

No one is perfect, and sane people don't expect perfection in a mate.
 
  • #12
My mother was gray at 25 years old. Family trait, on her side. I have gray temples, but at 61, I don't feel any reason to be concerned about that.

As lisab said, take it in stride. Age gracefully, and you'll be fine.
 
  • #13
Go to a doctor, have your liver looked at. Id say get some blood work done too. Hair ans nail health its one good indicator of overall body health
 
  • #14
Aero51 said:
Go to a doctor, have your liver looked at. Id say get some blood work done too. Hair ans nail health its one good indicator of overall body health

I had a full physical a few months ago and everything (including blood work) came out normal.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
11K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
3K
  • · Replies 287 ·
10
Replies
287
Views
28K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
  • · Replies 32 ·
2
Replies
32
Views
10K
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
8K