London - Some are happy to embrace the change, while others reach anxiously for the hair dye.
But however you feel about going grey, the good news is it happens far later in life than previously thought.
Traditionally it had been believed that half of adults have gone grey by the time they are 50. Experts define being grey as at least half of the crop of hair consisting of grey strands.
But new research shows that by the age of 50, only 27 percent of adults have gone grey.
Even better, for a lucky one in ten they will still not have gone grey by the time they are 60 – although they may have a sprinkling of silver hair.
Scientists employed by the hair product manufacturer L’Oreal also found women tend to go grey at a slightly slower rate.
And while in men the process usually begins with a few grey hairs at the side of head which extend upwards, it is far more random in women.
The study, published in the British Journal of Dermatology, analysed the hair of 4,192 men and women aged 45 to 60.
The researchers concluded: “Until now, it was commonly admitted, as a rough rule of thumb, that at the age of 50 years, 50 percent of people have at least 50 percent grey hair.
“Our own data suggests this rule should be amended. In the same population, our figures indicate a lower greying incidence.” - Daily Mail