How come some very young people are already starting to grow white hair? Is it because of stress.. or could it possibly just be hereditary?

“A change in hair color typically occurs naturally as people age, usually turning their hair to gray and then white. More than 40 percent of Americans have some gray hair by age 40, but white hairs can appear as early as childhood. The age at which graying begins seems to be almost entirely based on genetics. Sometimes people are born with gray hair because they inherit the trait genetically.”
—Wikipedia

Also, apparently could be B12 deficiency, but that’s not likely in a healthy person in an industrialized nation.

Where are all the white haired youths? I’ve never seen one.

I have three friends between the ages of 16 and 19 all of them with random white-haired spots. They’re neat, because they make them unique, but I have no idea what causes it.

I got my first white hair in 6th grade. Up until the last several years, they just appeared to be highlights in my red hair. I had a guy friend in junior high/middle school who had a patch of white hair, right in the front. I always thought he looked good! Now I’m wondering why I never asked him about it…

Grey hairs can be stress, genetic or both.

But you know those white spots some people have in one lock of their hair? I read that sometimes people who have emotional/mental trauma get them. Weird, huh? Apparently that’s why the kid in The Sixth Sense had one, the director thought it’d be neat.

Ill try to find some articles backing me up tomorrow when I’m awake. :)

The haircut lady found my first gray when I was four. Luckily I have vibrant, multi-colored (natural highlights? whatever you call it—lots of shades) hair so they blend in very well. My boyfriend found one the other day (after I’ve insisted for months that I have them) and was just tickled pink.

I never got gray hair. there’s this stuff you buy in a box that makes it go away….

I think i got my first gray while I was pregnant. So I blame stress. Can’t tell if it’s genetics…I never let my hair get that far so I could tell. :\