Revealed: The Average Age a Woman Gets Her First Gray Hair When Did You Discover Your First Silver Hair?

Discovering your first gray hair can be quite a shock.

But according to new research, this may happen sooner than you might expect.

A survey of 1,000 women found that half of them notice their first silver hair as early as age 30, usually between the ages of 31 and 35.

In fact, the research, conducted by haircare brand Schwarzkopf, found that 17 percent of women discover their first gray hair before their 25th birthday.

And while many blame stress — whether it’s caused by work or children — experts say it’s just part of growing up.

Discovering your first gray hair can be quite a shock. But it’s probably happening sooner than you might expect, according to a new study (stock image)

The answers also showed that hair plays a crucial role in determining our identity.

More than half of women said they were worried about growing older when they discovered gray hair. Two in five women said they felt insecure about what others would think of their gray hair. 36 percent said they felt less confident about themselves and their appearance. A third said they felt less attractive.

The research found that one in five women still believe the myth that plucking out one grey hair will cause seven new hairs to grow back. In addition, almost one in ten believe that the more often you dye your hair, the faster it will turn grey.

About 80 percent of women said they believe stress accelerates the graying process, and 71 percent think it is genetic.

About 80 percent of women said they believe stress accelerates the graying process, and 71 percent believe it is determined by genes (stock image)

Hair and scalp health expert Eva Proudman says: ‘The failure of melanocytes, the cells that produce the colour in our hair, is the main factor that makes hair appear grey.

‘Long-term emotional stress can exacerbate the graying process, but is generally not the main cause. The aging process is by far the most important factor in gray hair.

‘As we age and our hair changes and grays appear, we can feel like we are losing our identity.’

The findings coincide with the introduction of a new hair dye from Schwarzkopf Oleo Intense to cover gray hair.

Ms Proudman advises trying a lighter shade than your normal hair colour so that it blends in with the grey roots rather than overdoing them.