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Ask HN: is it unusual for hackers to get grey hair, should i be worried?

3 points by suliamansaleh ↗ HN
im 21 years old, im not depressed or anything, i actually love life, but i got a lot of grey hair on my left side of head, i do stay up all night hacking, i just love building stuff, im actually thinking this could be from me hacking, thats only reason i got the gray hair? is this normal

11 comments

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dasht
It is probably nothing but please go ask a doctor. If you google hard enough you'll find lots of reasons to think "it's nothing" and some good paranoia-inducing reasons to think.. ask a doc.
brk
I'm one of the only hackers/startup guys I know in my age bracket (late 30's) that does NOT have grey hair. It's not common from my observations to see grey hair around 30 in this business.
petercooper
I had a few white hairs from time to time in my early 20s. Now I'm 29 and getting perhaps a few percent grey/white hairs on both sides. But men on both sides of my family have gone full-on grey/white from 50 or so so I'm not concerned (I quite like the idea really).

One of the signs of serious stress is going bald or having clumps of hair falling out. If you're not at that level, I wouldn't pay much attention to it. But, as always, see a doctor if you're worried.

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rbanffy
You should move your monitor around or get a second one and place it to the right of your head. Also, check the Feng Shui of your office.

If an unusually high-power CRT were to blame, you would have no hair on the left of your head instead of just white hair. Asymmetric UV exposure could bleach parts of your hair.

solson
From my research, gray hair is genetic, but stress can trigger changes.

I've been a computer geek since I was 7 or 8. I started graying at 16. I'm 41 and my hair is completely white now. I wouldn't worry about it. Your only problem will be how first impressions go. But if you accept yourself as you are, it won't hold you back.

I just cut it really short now.

It's like baldness, it is better to accept it with some dignity than look like an insecure dope with a toupee or a comb-over.

zacharycohn
I think of them as silver. And silver hair is cool. Aged, wisened.
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ashleyreddy
Grab a bottle of womens hair dye. The stuff for men leaves too many greys behind.
paulnelligan
physical exercise (I swim a lot) and good fresh food is a great way to balance things out if you hack a lot.

Not saying it will stop the greying, but it will help you feel great.

dasht
No, it is not "normal" at least in the sense of "common".

The patient describes a sudden, asymmetrically presented symptom at an unusual age and exhibits a kind of vague anxiety about it. The patient spontaneously mentions depression and stress to deny that those are issues. The patient offers that perhaps staying up late at night is the primary cause. Unless his or her folks are saying "Oh, yeah, that runs in the family" he or she should have it checked out. He or she should say those things to a doc who can either easily dispel the anxiety or offer some helpful referrals. Geeze.

It's also worth reminding that, in general, HN is not a good source for medical advice (other than "ask a doc"). Several of the comments that I saw when I came back to this thread to see why I might have been downvoted -- are potentially endangering comments. Sure, sure, in some cases even the docs gets stuck and people reasonably fish here for help -- but this ain't that.

The best answer here for someone describing an odd symptom or describing a normal system oddly -- is go find a real life medical professional, don't ask HN.

Please.