I'm 41 and would probably be about 70% gray, if I let it come out. I color it as soon as I see roots. So I think the 70% may be accurate. You're very very lucky to not find your first gray hair until you turned 40!!! I did do the foil highlight thing for a long time, but have found out just one color close to my natural color lasts longer for me and I don't have three colors in my hair when the gray starts coming in. I hate spending my Saturdays at the hair stylists.

Last night I e-mailed a friend of mine about this same issue. So (thank goodness for cut and paste. LOL) here it goes . . .

I only have 1 wiry looking streak towards the back of my head by the crown area. It looks so stupid so I low light it a little. I can't wait to get gray in other places. I did find 1 in the front of my head. I didn't pluck it as some would. I proudly left it there.

When DD16 and I went to Ross this past weekend the cashier looked to be about our age (40's), maybe a little older, and she had this beautiful white streak right on the front part of her head. The rest of her hair was reddish/blonde maybe. It looked so nice. That is how I wanted to go gray.

My younger sister has a similar streak. But she and my other sisters color theirs. They all have dark, dark hair and the gray shows more. Mine is such a mix of colors. DDs laugh that I have every possible color in my hair ranging from bleach blonde in a couple of places (looks like I'm balding) to red to brown/black and now gray.

I started coloring my hair at 40. The first greys started appearing at
26 but wasn't to bad in the years after. I look at times like it was frosted.
Other times it was just streaks.

My hair for those few years changed differnt colors naturally. But then
OH BOY had to help Mother Nature.

When I go through a bad spell with my health and don't color my hair
the family laughs because the top of my head looks like I have
a white bowl on top of it.

Jappy

im 46 and still am giving out gray hairs, har har. I help Deb to do her hair, gonna wash that gray right out of my hair......

I was going to answer the solution to gray hair is a baseball cap

Back when I just had the occasional one, I would pluck it out. As the years wore on (and on and on) it occurred to me that if I continued the trend, I would eventually pluck myself bald.

I wish they didn't stand up straight and say "here I am!" but they do. I am naturally blond, so they kinda hide, but not forever.

My mother was 85 when she died, and her hair was probably still 60% brown, 40% grey. I guess I have the same hair genes, as I am just starting to turn grey "around the edges" and I'll be 58. I'LL BE 58??????

Be careful...the guy who cuts my hair says that if you pluck the gray hair, it encourages more gray hair to grow. (I'm not sure if that's true or not)

I think to color or not to color comes down to two things - personal preference and whether or not your complexion can take grey or white hair - I - for one - look pretty washed out - might I say - pasty without some color in my hair -

Thanks KarenMarie - I was going to mention that.

Also, it does depend on how you go gray too and what one is willing to tolerate.

To follow up on KarenMarie's statement....really it is a totally personal choice! as you all well know!!!

I have been drawn to looking at gray hair for years....and I actually think it looks really nice with the exception of those people who end up with that yellowish hair....I had decided if mine was going to come in yellowish, it would get dyed!!!
(sorry if you are la natural and it's yellow )

GJ, if you are really torn on a personal decision, go see your hairstylist and ask what could be done that would be the least dramatic on your hair and pocketbook. And ask for their honest opinion on your gray on you! (I would first ask if ANY of his/her clients go natural and what he/she thought about it!)

Good Luck!

I'm 45, with some, but not a lot of gray. Most of my friends just let their hair go gray. That's what I'm currently doing -- it's not very noticeable.

Sometimes, I've used a product that you can find in the Men's hair section called Grecian Formula. I thought that they used to also make a women's product, but I've never been able to find it, if they do.

You just put it in your hair and, over a period of about 3 weeks, it gradually restores color to your hair. Then you just use it occasionally to keep the color. Pretty simple and inexpensive. It smells like a men's product, so I would put it in at night, so you can wash it out in the morning when you shower.

~ Faith