It’s important to note that two natural redheads on the H2BAR team worked to write, edit and finalize this post.
As natural redheads, we know and love the bond that having red hair gives our community. Red hair is seen differently than blonde or brown hair simply because it’s so rare. Not only is our hair color unique, but our MC1R gene fascinates scientists worldwide. We have the ability to make our own Vitamin D, we need more anesthesia and we smell differently than blonde/brunettes. Many call these traits “redhead superpowers” and thus, most of us are very proud of our genetic makeup.
Most experience some sort of bullying or teasing for having red hair, often in their younger years. For this reason, redheads can be quite protective of their hair color and feel upset when others try to jump on the “redhead wagon” and dye it. Although natural redheads are true unicorns in the world, it doesn’t mean we should hate faux redheads or redheads ‘by choice’. When scrolling through comments on TikTok or Instagram of someone who dyed their hair red, you will see many comments from natural reds:
“Don’t call yourself a redhead. You can say you have red hair but you aren’t a redhead.”
“You didn’t go through relentless bullying so you can’t call yourself a redhead.”
“I hate when people dye their hair red.”
We need to put an end to the hate.
Hear us out. The only way to reduce redhead bullying and the negative connotations associated with having red hair is to normalize it; and the more people that have red hair (real or faux) the more “normal” it will become. If young kids see more redhead representation in the media than generations have in the past; and with red hair being “trendy” on outlets such as TikTok, they might experience more compliments and less teasing.
But, let’s not jump to the conclusion that all natural redheads shun faux reds. There’s proof that many welcome ‘by choice’ redheads into our community. In a stream of comments on one of our recent Facebook posts, natural redheads chimed in on what they thought about people dying their hair crimson-colored. Some of the comments included things like:
“The more redheads we have the better!” – Sharon C.
“I honestly don’t think it matters one bit and they’re free to rock whatever they wish.” – Suzanne V.
“Greatest compliment to those of us who are natural redheads.” – Lura L.
“As a natural redhead, I’m fine with anyone who realizes how fabulous redheads are and want to join the party!” – Jill C.
“What does it matter? People change their hair color all the time. It’s a vibe.” – Alyssa W.
“Kudos!!! Have fun with it!! I can’t blame someone for wanting red hair, it’s the best!!” Julie S.
“The more the merrier. Life is too short to worry about things like that” – Kimberly B.
We love to see the inclusivity and keep it up, redheads. We should all bring each other up, not down. Let’s make the next generation better and start accepting anyone who wants to look like us.
Rock it like a Redhead!
RELATED POSTS:
READ: 7 Things to Say to Empower a Redhead
READ: Redhead By-Choice? Here’s How to Make it Look More Natural
