Red Hair

I have had a penchant for red hair for almost as long as I can remember. My child hood sweetheart had red hair. Curly red hair. Although he had to keep it cut short, as young men did not have long hair back then. I've dated several men who have had red hair. None of my husbands have had red hair though.

When I was in high school I had red hair for a while, a dark copper penny red. I loved it. I think there were only three or four other people with red hair in my school at that time. But, I quickly got bored and it was time to change. I've had my hair blond, brown, black, and a few un-natural shades like orange (yeah, that was attractive LOL) and blue.

About eleven years ago during my monthly date with my then hairstylist, Quyen, she asked me if I had ever considered coloring my hair. When I said not really. She very tactfully told me I should consider it as I was beginning to get some gray hair. ROFLOL I've had gray hair since I was 19 and my girl friends would try to hold me down and pull them out. But she was right, and we chose a very nice shade of red. Later I decided to let it grow, and began coloring it myself. Then, about a year ago I got my light red butt length hair cut short and changed the color to a nice burgundy, it's official name I Chocolate Cherry ~ Deep Burgundy Brown. It's redder than the picture appears. Most people think I have dark brown hair until it catches fire in the sunlight and then there is no doubt it is RED.

Professor Jonathan Rees conducted a study of redheads at Edinburgh University. He identified the"gene for red hair" the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R), found on the 16th chromosome. He found that this single gene was responsible for red hair. It is a genetic mutation, and is seen on the heads of only four percent of people. The highest percentage of natural redheads in the world is in Scotland (13%), (Be still my heart!) followed closely by Ireland with 10%. In the US, about 2% of the population are natural redheads. I read that red hair is likely to die out in the near future. (OH NO!!)


Here are some quotes from a few famous and not so famous redheads:

"Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead." - Lucille Ball

"If you want trouble... find yourself a redhead." - Unknown

"Ruadh gu brath!" - Scots Gaelic for "Red heads forever!"

"You'd find it easier to be bad than good if you had red hair," said Anne reproachfully. "People who haven't red hair don't know what trouble is." -Anne to Marilla in Anne of Green Gables

"Of course, part of the 'problem' with redheads is that there aren't enough of them. They make up just two percent of the population. So they're pretty extraordinary. Redheads are too numerous to be ignored, too rare to be accepted."-Grant McCracken, from his book Big Hair

"It's not just a hair color, it's a state of mind."-Realm of Redheads

I could go on and on (I won't, LOL but don't get me started about the negative moral associations) about red hair, I'll just close with a list of people who, at some time in their lives were redheads. Laura Prepon (one of my favorite actors), Bernadette Peters (I'd love to have HER hair!), Wilma & Pebbles Flintstone, Pippi Longstocking, Cyndi Lauper, Winston Churchill, Lucille Ball, Ronald McDonald, Conan O'Brien, Sarah Ferguson, Anne of Green Gables, Marcia Cross, Susan Sarandon, Raggedy Ann & Andy, Katherine Hepburn, Carol Burnett, Bette Midler, Red Skelton, Rita Hayworth, Nichole Kidman, Molly Ringwald, Ann Margret, Julianne Moore, Princess Fiona from Shrek, Sissy Spacek, Gillian Anderson, Little Orphan Annie, Axl Rose, Jessica Rabbit, Peppermint Patty and The Little redheaded girl (from Peanuts), my BIL Harry and my Aunt Tina.