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Mysterious hair problem

(31 Posts)
henetha Fri 20-Jun-25 10:38:20

I wonder if anyone else has ever had this peculiar hair problem.
I've been grey for many years, and it's really quite a nice white now. I used to hate it, but it's grown on me grin.
I have not dyed or coloured it in any way whatsoever for a few years now. However, over the last six months or so my hair has started to change colour. I have black streaks all over the place. It started at the sides, by my ears, then my fringe, then at the back, and now it is becoming really noticeable. It's black right down to the roots.
I simply don't know if this is a medical problem or not.
Has anyone else ever had this? I'd be grateful to hear.
I have googled it and it's not much help. I did find one reference to possible hyperthyroidism, but that's all.

Gr8dame Mon 23-Jun-25 06:30:26

My very dark brown hair started to get silver grey streaks at the temples which I quite liked. I didn’t like my dark brown eyebrows which started to grow outwards and wouldn’t lie flat so I made an appointment with a highly recommended local beautician to ask for advice. She put a ruler across the top of my brows and showed me that one eye was lower than the other 😡 so she couldn’t do anything for me !!!
An very much younger ex work colleague recommended I try a new hairdresser (tbh I hadn’t had one before and had waist length hair which I plaited) but it’s worked out well for me. I’m now an 81 year old silver fox with a full fringe that covers my wonky eyebrows and a shoulder length bob 😂. Still don’t understand why my brows remain so dark though.

henetha Sun 22-Jun-25 23:32:41

Actually, I have been quite stressed in recent months, so that's a possibility, although the very opposite, CanadianGran. 😄
Also, I remember now, I was prescribed extra vitamin D about a year ago which I take daily for my bones. Maybe that's the reason.

CanadianGran Sun 22-Jun-25 21:33:18

Apparently stress and poor diet can cause hair to go grey, and an improvement in these conditions can reverse the grey.

Has your diet or stress level improved over the last 6 months?

Nellygran Sun 22-Jun-25 21:25:19

Mine doesn’t

Bridie22 Sun 22-Jun-25 20:29:27

My fringe is like a barcode according to my hairdresser !

bebe2 Sun 22-Jun-25 18:24:05

Have you been taking vitamin B12?

missdeke Sun 22-Jun-25 17:22:30

According to Dr Google this is not possible. Only in instances such as if the grey hair was caused by stress, lack of certain nutrients or certain medications. There seems to be enough people who are experiencing return of colour to the original to prove Dr Google wrong.

M0nica Sun 22-Jun-25 16:49:19

My family carries a gene for going grey very late. I am one of the forttunate family members to inherit the gene and at 81, according to my hairdresser, I am only just tipping over into having more white than brown hair. But that is only on my head, elsewhere, my body hair is still its original colour.

AuntieE Sun 22-Jun-25 16:03:39

My eyebrows are flourishing - the hairs are much longer than they used to be, and there are plenty of them. My moustache is painfully obvious as well. I have had hairs on my upper lip since puberty, but now they are increasing in number and strenght, and those pesky wiry hairs round my nipples don't look as if they are going to go away either. And I still have to shave my legs regularly.

However the hair on my head is not thinner than it used to be, as is my pubic hair. The latter has faded from bright red to pale dirty yellow. The hair on my head cannot decide between grey, dirty brown or white, once upon a time it was red.

It must be nearly thirty years since I last needed to shave my arm-pits.

There seems to be no rhyme or reason to any of all this.

Marleygirl Sun 22-Jun-25 15:26:15

I have always had fair hair, but lightened it during the 1960s onward so was a 'blonde' but getting towards my 80s, it is now pure white naturally , although comes through light brown at the nape of my neck - odd, but this can't be seen as it is under my 'short pageboy'. Hair care costs nothing - love it!

4allweknow Sun 22-Jun-25 15:22:16

I'd guess it's all a hormone thing. Just like the losing eyebrow (I've none) leg hair disappearing and underarm somewhat sparse. Of course the annoying facial hair keeps going. Anyone noticed nasal hair making an appearance? I'm sure I never noticed any before when tilting head back.

JOJO60 Sun 22-Jun-25 15:02:07

I think it is linked to low levels of estrogen and progesterone following menopause, which means we have higher levels of androgens, androgen being the "male" hormone.

juliaamwell Sun 22-Jun-25 14:22:07

I am also experiencing this! Hairdresser noticed it first but dark brown hair growing through. I take heart medication.

Emerald64 Sun 22-Jun-25 13:50:20

Calendargirl

Don’t wish to lower the tone, but pubic hair seems to retain the original colour, unlike head hair.

blush

Mine hasn't, lots of it is white. The hair on my head is partially grey, but I dye it, & the rest of my body is sparser but still coloured.

I'm not sure whether to feel special or upset about my white pubes.......

veejay Sun 22-Jun-25 13:46:55

This has happened to me,very strange ,I was very dark when young,but went blonde at about 40, and still colour it blonde but if I didn't it is naturally white now, Noticed black hair coming through about 2 years ago,
I am now 82

Retired65 Sun 22-Jun-25 13:46:38

Calendargirl

Don’t wish to lower the tone, but pubic hair seems to retain the original colour, unlike head hair.

blush

Well mine is grey & I don't know when it started going grey.

cc Sun 22-Jun-25 13:38:50

My husband was grey and balding before he started on heart medication and his hair started to grow again, slightly darker. (still pretty sparse though).

henetha Sat 21-Jun-25 10:54:02

That should say, Never had black hair....

henetha Sat 21-Jun-25 10:53:34

No, I have had black hair. I was sort of chestnutty brown before it went grey. But this hair now growing is proper black.
It's weird.

CariadAgain Sat 21-Jun-25 08:04:06

Was it that colour way back when - ie black?

If hair is going back to its original colour - then I'd take it as a positive sign personally (ie that your health is getting better).

M0nica Sat 21-Jun-25 07:58:25

Lathyrus3

Calendargirl

Don’t wish to lower the tone, but pubic hair seems to retain the original colour, unlike head hair.

blush

Because it’s about 15 years younger????

Not always.

I have always been hirsute, and it is great not having to keep the pelt down all the time, but no one told my facial hair so I am still having to have regular electrolysis.

henetha Fri 20-Jun-25 23:17:58

No change of meds recently, Lathyrus, so I'm still mystified. smile

Lathyrus3 Fri 20-Jun-25 13:09:47

Calendargirl

Don’t wish to lower the tone, but pubic hair seems to retain the original colour, unlike head hair.

blush

Because it’s about 15 years younger????

Beechnut Fri 20-Jun-25 13:04:23

Calendargirl

Don’t wish to lower the tone, but pubic hair seems to retain the original colour, unlike head hair.

blush

😂 made me chuckle and there has been a few other posts today on GN that also have. 😃

Calendargirl Fri 20-Jun-25 12:57:15

Don’t wish to lower the tone, but pubic hair seems to retain the original colour, unlike head hair.

blush