"I started going gray aged 13 - now I'm embracing my silver locks"

A woman has become a global inspiration after she embraced her natural silver locks in her 30s.

Heather Gray, 38, a mother from West Michigan, spotted her first gray hair when she was in junior high at about 13.

She started getting highlights in high school and was fully dyeing her hair by the time she turned 18 - eventually having to re-do it every few weeks to cover her roots.

But she ditched the dye aged 34 - and gained thousands of fans online who watched her transition to a fully gray 'Silver Sister.''

And while she admits the grow-out was tough, after years of hiding her true self she's more confident than ever, and hopes to inspire other graying young women to be themselves.