I started going gray at 16 or 17... I'm 30 now, and I'm not salt&pepper yet, but if my hair is a little long and I don't gel it, you can see gray flecks all over, from 20 feet away! I used to gel my hair everyday, for that reason, but once I turned 30, I quit caring. I hardly do anything with my hair now, besides getting it cut every 3 weeks.