Graying is a gradual process; according to a study by L'Oreal, overall, of those between 45 and 65 years old, 74% had some gray hair, covering an average of 27% of their head, and approximately 1 in 10 people had no gray hairs even after the age of 60.
Genetics
Your makeup plays a big role in when (or if) you develop white hair. If you notice white hair at an early age, it's likely that your parents or grandparents also had graying or white hair at an early age. You can't change genetics.
Natural red hair is the rarest hair color in the world, only occurring in 1 to 2% of the global population. Since red hair is a recessive genetic trait, it is necessary for both parents to carry the gene, whether or not they themselves are redheaded.
"On average, 50 percent of the population will have 50 percent gray hair by the age of 50," he said. He also pointed out that men tend to begin noticing gray hairs around age 30, while women won't typically show signs of graying until age 35.
Albinism is a rare group of genetic disorders that cause the skin, hair, or eyes to have little or no color. Albinism is also associated with vision problems. According to the National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation, about 1 in 18,000 to 20,000 people in the United States have a form of albinism.
Of those four, green is the rarest. It shows up in about 9% of Americans but only 2% of the world's population. Hazel/amber is the next rarest of these. Blue is the second most common and brown tops the list with 45% of the U.S. population and possibly almost 80% worldwide.
Genetics
If you notice white hair at an early age, it's likely that your parents or grandparents also had graying or white hair at an early age. You can't change genetics. But if you don't like the way your gray hair looks, you can always color your hair.
Gray hairs before the age of 30 are normal.
“It's not unusual to have a few gray hairs even if you're 18 or 20,” says Cotsarelis, noting that a gray hair occurs when the follicle stops producing melanin, the pigment that gives hair its color.
As we get older, the pigment cells in our hair follicles gradually die. When there are fewer pigment cells in a hair follicle, that strand of hair will no longer contain as much melanin and will become a more transparent color — like gray, silver, or white — as it grows.
Though, ageing is the primary reason of grey hair but premature greying of hair in early 20's or 30's is now common. Genetic factors, stress, lack of nutrition, chemicals, smoking or any underlying disease like anemia can also lead to premature greying of hair.
Blonde Hair
But this isn't the case because blonde hair is the 2nd rarest natural hair color. Only 3% of the total global population is blonde.
Type 1A hair is very straight and fine, with no hint of wave or curl. As it is so straight and fine, when the natural oils travel to the ends, it tends to cause it to look like oily hair. It is the rarest hair type and is common among women of Asian descent.
Genetics: It's all in genetics, say doctors. According to studies, premature greying happens due to genetics. Talk to your parents or even grandparents on when they first spotted their grey hair. If they had it very early in their age, chances are there you too will do the same.
Most women think brunette hair is the sexiest, as 25% of those polled favoured this option. Womens' second preference is blonde, which was voted as the sexiest hair colour by 19.6% of women. Again, red took third spot, accounting for 11.8% of womens' votes.
Being naturally blonde is pretty rare.
Only 2 percent of people in the world are natural blondes. (About one in 20 Americans are.) But that doesn't mean it's not popular. One in three women dyes her locks light enough to be considered blonde.
Kraleti doesn't recommend plucking or pulling the hairs out. “If there is a gray hair you must get rid of, very carefully cut it off. Plucking can traumatize the hair follicle, and repeated trauma to any follicle can cause infection, scar formation or possibly lead to bald patches.”
When it comes to spelling, it's not all black and white. Gray and grey are both common spellings of the color between black and white. Gray is more frequent in American English, whereas grey is more common in British English.
Vitamin or mineral deficiency — Any deficiencies of vitamin B-6, B-12, biotin, vitamin D, or vitamin E can contribute to prematurely going gray. Similarly, deficiencies in minerals like calcium, copper, iron, protein and zinc can also contribute to graying hair earlier than usual.
When your strand turns gray or white, the pigment cells in the follicle surrounding the hair have already died. "In other words, plucking a gray hair will only get you a new gray hair in its place," says Gillen, so any plucking is pretty much pointless since you're simply delaying the inevitable.
Expert answer. A strand of hair can appear gray when it contains a decreased amount of a pigment called melanin, and it can look white if there is no pigment at all. Gray hair occurs with normal aging because the hair cells on the scalp produce less melanin; in children, early graying tends to be inherited.
A new study shows that stress really can give you gray hair. Researchers found that the body's fight-or-flight response plays a key role in turning hair gray. Your hair color is determined by pigment-producing cells called melanocytes.
Can White Hair Turn Black Again? Genetic or age related greying of hair cannot be reversed. However, greying related to diet, pollution, bleaching and stress can be slowed down with a balanced diet and a good hair care regimen. Know your hair to figure out hair care that suits your hair.
It can be due to a dirty scalp, dandruff, infections like fungal infection of the scalp, e.t.c. It can be due to chemicals like hydrogen peroxide present in hair colors, which have a bleaching effect. Deficiency of nutrients like vitamin B. complex, copper, iron and iodine is known to cause premature graying.