White/Gray Hair Color

I got interested in hair color last weekend, because I found a clear/white hair! OMG! What! It was about 6 inches long - how had I not noticed this growing on my head? Well, as I said it appeared to be shiny and clearish/whitish - not GRAY.

I had to know was it a gray hair? Online I found that clear hairs are white hairs because of how the light shines on them. Clear or white hairs appear that way, because the hair follicle is no longer producing colored hair - it now has a lack of color. Whereas, gray hairs, are produced from less color producing hair follicles. Although, another site said all white and gray hairs are clear (due to lack of pigmentation and melanin) and it's how the light hits them that we see white or gray. Hmm...

I also found out that every decade after 30, our chances at getting gray or white hairs increases by 15-20%! Most everyone as they get older will get gray or white hairs, just the when depends on many factors.

DNA plays the biggest role - so when your parents and grandparents started going gray - is probably when you will. Other factors that can start the process or reverse to normal color when treated or countered are: stress, poor diet/malnutrition, medical conditions, drug interactions and side effects.

Have you found your first white/gray hair? When did you find your first one? Or are you still free of them?

Everyday fun facts about why hair turns gray/white: http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/grayhair.html.
Here's information on human hair color - all colors: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_hair_color.

**All pictures found on the web, not me or my friends.**