The Beauty in Red

"Gentlemen may prefer blondes, but it takes a real man to handle a redhead."

Last Sunday, I have had my hair colored again with red. Very lovely! (Well, that's just me. *winks*)

It was since 2007, when I was in college, that I started dyeing my hair with this passionate blush. I just fell in love with this visually stunning and dramatic color. Yes, there are other common colors like distinctive blondes and brown but that’s the thing, they are very common! While red is most rare hair color in humans, this color has always been my favorite since day one.

Me and my Red-head, just recently.

Actually, the first time I decided to smother my hair with this fiery shade, it was just like a portion of my side bangs. At first I never intended to dye my entire bunch of glory but just like I said, I fell in love with the color so I did have it colored one portion after another. It was like an addiction! Every time the sun rays would touch my hair, the more that my hair looks gorgeous (in my eyes, at least). And not just gorgeous, but gorgeous with an attitude.

Of all the hair colors, red heads may get the most second glances. And I know that most of you, if not all, will agree that redheads will always stand out in a crowd of people. Not because they’re the most uncommon hair color but because red haired people have this special form of beauty that puts them in a class of their own.

Now, you may say I’m writing all of these because I’m a big-headed redhead. That’s another story, though *laughs* But, no. All of these are based from factual observation. Go, figure.


In all honesty, redheads have not always been as valued as they are today. Historically, prejudice and suspicion has always greeted the redhead, along with the belief that they are fiery and hot-tempered. this image, wrong or not, most likely stems from the fact that the Scots, with their high percentage of red-haired people, are descended from the Celts, notoriously violent warriors. It is this perception that spawned many strange and fantastical beliefs and ideas about red hair.

Era by era, redheads have been discriminated. In the ancient Egypt for example, it was reported that Egyptians would pay tribute to their god by burying men with red hair while they were still alive. And in Greek mythology it was thought that red haired people turned into vampires when their life ended. Even in modern times, discrimination still exists in some parts of the world. If you pass a red haired person on the street in Corsica, you’re supposed to spit and turn around. It is unclear if that is supposed to bring good luck or because redheads leave a bad taste in your mouth.

During the Middle Ages, red was seen as the color of the Devil, and it was thought that a child born with red hair was conceived during "that time of the month.” Is that a little too much menstruation information? On the positive note, it’s considered an honor to have a red haired child in Denmark.

Russian tradition declares that red hair is both a sign of fiery temper and craziness, and a proverb warns, "There was never a saint with red hair." Indeed, red hair figures in the Bible. The word Adam is supposedly the Hebrew word for "red" or "ruddy," and Judas is often portrayed with red hair as is Mary Magdalene. King David is thought to have been redhead, and some oven believe the "Mark of Cain" to actually be red hair.

Redheads have also been labeled with epithets that were less than flattering. Throughout history they have been called violent, emotional, hot tempered, crazy, mystical, and unclean. They’ve been called, and had to endure, a range of nicknames and phrases including such oldies as carrot-top, Agent Orange, big red, fireball, and fire truck. They’ve also been greeted with such salutations as “Is your hair on fire?” and “Here comes a fire truck!”

So anyway, to feed everybody’s brain, here are some more tidbits of redhead information I gathered from different sources over the net. This is for those, like myself, who are red heads (whether it natural hair color or hair-dyed), redhead lover and just want to obtain information on redheads. Some myths, legends, historical and little known facts about red hair that you might find interesting:

• Red hair doesn’t gray as much as other hair colors. Red hair initially tends to turn blond and then white.
• Approximately 1-2% of humans, or about two in 100 people in the world, have natural red hair
• Because natural red hair holds its pigment more than other colors, it is harder to dye.
• Redheaded women report bruising more easily than other women of different hair colors.
• People with red hair have twice the risk of developing Parkinson’s Disease.
• Hitler reportedly banned the marriage of redheads in order to prevent “deviant offspring.”
• Red hair is a recessive trait, which means that a child must inherit one red hair gene from each parent. Recessive traits often come in pairs, and redheads are more likely than other people to be left handed.
• Some scholars speculate that because Adam was from “red earth” and the Hebrew word for “red” is adom, that Adam was a redhead.
• Scholars note that redheads have influenced history out of proportion to their numbers. Famous redheads include Roman emperor Nero, Helen of Troy, Cleopatra, the ancient god of love Aphrodite, Queen Elizabeth I, Napoleon Bonaparte, Oliver Cromwell, Emily Dickinson, Antonio Vivaldi, Thomas Jefferson, Vincent Van Gogh, Mark Twain, James Joyce, Winston Churchill, Malcolm X, Galileo, and King David.
• In ancient Rome, redheaded slaves were often more expensive than those with other hair color.
• Satan is often portrayed as a redhead most likely because red was viewed as the color of sexual desire and moral degradation.
• Red hair is a mutation of the MC1R gene on chromosome 16. The mutation blocks the production of eumelanin (dark brown and black pigment), which causes a buildup of the phaeomelanin (red and blond pigments). Some scientists believe that higher levels of phaeomelanin may produce more mutations and dangerous effects when exposed to UV radiation.
• Ruadh gu brath is Gaelic for “Red heads forever!
• “Gingerphobia” is a fear of redheads. “Gingerism” is the bullying or prejudice of redheads.
• Some common surnames in the British Isles reflect the frequency of red hair there, including Flanary (“red eyebrow”), Reid (“red-haired, ruddy complexion”), and Flynn (“bright red”)
• In France, to be redheaded is thought to be very bad fate.
• In Poland, if you pass three redheads you'll win the state lottery.
•  Harvard dermatologist Madhu Pathak calls redheads "three-time losers" because their red pigment is an inadequate filter of sunlight and their skin is more susceptible to sunburn, skin cancer and wrinkling with age.
• One medical importance of red hair is that individuals with red hair are, on average, more likely to burn in the sun and they are at an increased risk of skin cancer. 
•  According to legend, the first redhead was Prince Idon of Mu who, upon discovering Atlantis, was imprinted with the island’s stunning red sunset and leaves in the form of red hair and freckles so future generations would be reminded of Atlantis’ first sunset

There you go! That’s definitely plenty of information to absorb about redheads. Mind you, I enjoyed reading them when I was still in the process of collecting the data. Although most of them gives negative impression, still I won’t dye my hair with any other color as much as I do with my red hair. And no matter what were the legends, myths or history say about red hair, I am still proud to be a redhead in my own way.

Remember, red hair is not just a hair color, it's an attitude!

Sources:
http://facts.randomhistory.com/redhead-facts.html
http://www.ginga.co.nz/?sid=14