Why do I have gray hair at such a young age?

I am 19 years old and 25% of my hair is gray. It has been turning gray since I was about 16. I am afraid thet by time I turn 25 my whole head will be covered. Can anyone give me an idea of why my hair is turning gray. Some say it is hereditary but no one in my family got gray hair before 37.Why do I have gray hair at such a young age?
It's not uncommon that people in their younger years experience graying. Melanin is produced in the hair bulb and when it does not produce melanin it causes the hair to grow out gray. It can be hereditary, or it can come from many other factors. Don't think that gray hair is a sign of aging, it's actually not; your hair is just missing color pigments that is produced by melanin.





Hope this helps...





Note: There are seniors who have not had one gray hair; so you don't have to be old to have a gray hair.Why do I have gray hair at such a young age?
genetics, or stress?
The root of every strand of hair is surrounded by a tube of tissue under the skin that is called the hair follicle (say: fah-lih-kul). Each hair follicle contains a certain number of pigment cells. These pigment cells continuously produce a chemical called melanin (say: meh-luh-nin) that gives the growing shaft of hair its color of brown, blonde, red, and anything in between.





Melanin is the same stuff that makes our skin's color fair or darker. It also helps determine whether a person will burn or tan in the sun. The dark or light color of someone's hair depends on how much melanin each hair contains.





As we get older, the pigment cells in our hair follicles gradually die. When there are fewer pigment cells in a hair follicle, that strand of hair will no longer contain as much melanin and will become a more transparent color - like gray, silver, or white - as it grows. As people continue to get older, fewer pigment cells will be around to produce melanin. Eventually, the hair will look completely gray.





People can get gray hair at any age. Some people go gray at a young age - as early as when they are in high school or college - whereas others may be in their 30s or 40s before they see that first gray hair. How early we get gray hair is determined by our genes. This means that most of us will start having gray hairs around the same age that our parents or grandparents first did.





Gray hair is more noticeable in people with darker hair because it stands out, but people with naturally lighter hair are just as likely to go gray. From the time a person notices a few gray hairs, it may take more than 10 years for all of that person's hair to turn gray.





Some people think that a big shock or trauma can turn a person's hair white or gray overnight, but scientists don't really believe that this happens. Just in case, try not to freak out your parents too much. You don't want to be blamed for any of their gray hairs!





Hope i helped!!!
u could be really stressed
it can probably from your family, stress, your health





my fiance is like that also. He has a couple of gray hair and well hes going a little bald and hes only 23!!!
okay it is in your genes and maybe it is not your parents alone but the mix of their genes that made you have gray hair
It can be genetics. Stress. Your Diet. An illness... Check with your doc.