Interest definitely seems to be up. A representative from Amazon said it had seen a threefold increase in the last year in customers searching for gray hair dye.

“It’s kind of an ironic statement, especially when the wearer is noticeably young and probably years away from natural graying,” said Michael Fisher, creative director of men's wear at Fashion Snoops, the trend forecasting agency. “It’s just another bold way to stand out from the crowd.”

Tyler Oakley, 26, the social media personality who parlayed his online cachet into the documentary “Snervous” and book “Binge” last year, has experimented with his hair color, adopting many shades, from purple to green.

“Gray is the favorite color I’ve ever had,” he said. “It was unique and fun, but it’s not eye catching in the way that like lilac or mint was. When I had those colors, I felt like everyone was looking at me. With gray, I felt like I was trying on a new look but it was also relatively natural.”

Celebrities aren’t the only ones to take the plunge. “I’ve always been confident, but now I feel more fun and cooler,” Michael Vasquez, a 30-year-old senior business analyst, said of his artificial gunmetal hue, now several months old. “I really love it. I feel sexier.”

Admittedly, part of that is because of the positive response he received from friends and on social media, getting 90 “likes” on his Instagram account. “Of course, my mom doesn’t like it,” Mr. Vasquez said with a laugh.