What is it about Redheads?
By H.C Porter
Work it, Own it, Love it...
It's the hair, isn't it?
Everyone has read passages that are intended to give you a breakdown of your personality. The analysis is given using your eye or hair color, birth year, astrological sign among other things.
I wanted to have a little fun, since I get so many comments about my hair, I decided to check out the history and varied perceptions of Red-Heads. Tell me what you think, do your physical characteristics help portray your personality?
The color red is, by itself very bold and deep. Words that are commonly associated with the color is hot, love and sexy. The perception of someone that is born with red hair is feisty, opinionated and seductive or in some incidents the complete opposite; homely, pale and quiet. There is a very popular stereo type that red-heads are either drop dead gorgeous or completely unattractive.
With only 2-5% of the United States population having natural red hair, red-heads tend to stand out in a crowd, and perhaps that is why so many with this rarity tend to protrude confidence, amongst other things. The country that has the most number of natural red heads is Scotland with 13% and then Ireland with 10%.
If you ask a hair stylist about red heads, they will probably say that the majority have a lot of it. Red heads tend possess thick hair, which is not a bad thing. The average number of actual strands which make up a head of hair is 100,000. Blondes have 120,000 and Red Heads top the list with 900,000 stands of hair on their heads. That is an abundance of hair in comparison. Unlike other natural hair colors, redheads do not go gray. Their hair turns a bit sandy and then white, but they do not go gray.
Being born a redhead was not always a positive attribute. During Mid-Evil times, many of redheads were burned alive for being witches-simply for having red hair.
It is said that it wasn’t until the era of Queen Elizabeth I, that red hair was actually considered a unique desirable characteristic.
"Red hair is the first visible human trait, or phenotype, that is linked to anesthetic requirement," says anesthesiologist Edwin Liem
Ten red-haired women between 19 and 40 years of age and ten having dark hair were given a commonly-used anesthetic in the study. After each dose of the anesthetic, the women were given a standard electric shock.
The process was repeated until the women felt no pain. Their reflexes were also monitored to assess the effectiveness of the painkiller. The researchers found that red heads required 20 per cent more aesthetic to dull pain.
Why is this? It is because, in people with red hair, the cells that produce skin and hair pigment have a dysfunctional melanocortin 1 receptor, which requires more anesthetic.
As for me- I have Irish and Scottish blood running through my body. I have two brothers and two sisters, and I am the only redhead in my family for three generations. My astrological sign happens to be Scorpio. Which goes right along with the characteristics associated with redheads. I am a crazy- intuitive- emotionally spun girl...and I refuse to apologize at all for any of it.
Here are some quotes and jokes about redheads for everyone;
How do you get a redheads mood to change?
Wait 10minutes
Why are there not more redhead jokes?
Someone was stupid and told a redhead.
Man you ain't lived until you had your tires rotated by a redheaded woman -Bruce Springstein
Gentleman may prefer Blondes, but it takes a real man to handle a redhead
What is the difference between a redhead and a computer?
A redhead won't accept a three and a half inch floppy !
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Comments
My hair was red as a child and the turned brown...I was a real brat! Cool hub! :)
I like this very Much! Thanks it makes me proud to be a redhead. I was picked on alot as a child because of it but kids can find almost anything to pick on each other for.
I must admit that the hottest little lady I knew in my youth was a red head.... Ah fond memories...
Great hub, liked the Beatles one also.
It is common for a hubber to reply to her readers comments. I know you are around. Hello, see ya later.
ralwus,
thanks for the comment-and for reading the hub. i was told a few years ago before i had my son, that redheads tend to bleed more as well-but i wasnt able to confirm it (still looking) so I didnt include it. But it is still an interesting tid-bit.
hc porter
just read your 2nd message... yeah ive been around here and there. sorry i didnt respond. I was juggling a 29 month old-19 month old, research for another hub, answering questions from a column i write, and playing in the forums while making dinner. Usually do make an attempt to respond quickly-but dont always get a chance until after the kids are in bed. I enjoy reading the comments hubers make, so i try not to rush through with thoughtless lame responses. Please be patient with me (give me at least a day before you become annoyed with my delinquent responses)
Tom
Thanks for reading- yeah, ive been told i was a real brat too... im still told that at times... lol, oh well
Ohma
I think that it is a rule that if you are a redhead as a child-you will be picked on. I remeber trying to dye my hair black at 13, because i was called Carrot Top-Red Head- or Fire Girl... I am glad that you liked it, thanks for your comment.
aguasilver- THANKS FOR READING Both this one and the Beatles one too. Watch out for those redhead girls-they can sting!
hc porter
No offense cutie -- but you're a lot cuter when you are NOT annoyed. Then again, i guess if i pissed you off if would be fair punishment that you give me a not-totally-cute look, huh? I guess maybe that's your Mad Mommy look, huh?
Whatever wsp, H.C. your super cute when your annoyed. However after reading this hub, I might be a bit scared if you someone had really pissed you off. You better watch out wsp!
:-) Another great hub, thank you.
wsp-
Nope-that's not the Mad Mommy look, that's the I just spent a week in the hospital, three weeks after having a baby, when someone tells me, 'Once your done with the laundry, the dishes are starting to pile up-you think you could get to them, you havent been home for a week' look... that was followed by the question, 'so when will you have the rest of that weight off'? (which was the shut the hell up laugh).
lol- it wasnt meant to be a cute look-I was sick as hell :)
i know i look horrible in those pics (was just showing the icky side of me, lol)
Citrus,
have i told you i love you... lol. thanks for the comment :D
hc porter
Oh gosh.... :-}
I was never annoyed at you. Just funnin' to see what you would do since yer a redhead. LOL Tryin' ta get the dandruff up I suppose. Well ain't you a great momma?
LOL- thanks. Don’t you know, I am also a Scorpio? which means, I remain cool and collected the majority of the time (at least on the outside)-takes a lot to rough up the dandruff-life’s way too short to get your panties in a wad-specially when you know you will eventually have to fish em out.
I read what you wrote-and you wrote truth (I should have gotten responses out quicker than 15hrs), the thing to do was say I am sorry-explain myself-ask for forgiveness and get on with it... :D
Besides, didn’t want to get all frisky and lose a fan/follower (you’re a pretty cool guy)
As for being a great mommy? I try, some days I want to go hide from them (the terrible two's are hell). But 95% of the time, I am just having fun-learning who they are and figuring out their interests and personalities.
Thanks Again :)
hc porter
Hmmm alone on one hub with two of my favorite cuties! We should do this more often! (or maybe in the real world just once even!)
wsp-
LOL... Time? Place?
I had fun reading this hub and am glad that I finally was able to learn a little something about not only red heads, but you as well :)
Thanks for sharing this one. I've only dated one redhead my entire life, which is not nearly as many as I would like to :D
HC,
You are such a tease!
dohn
ahh, that was sweet. thanks for taking the time to read it. so glad you liked it. it was actually fun researching it. Be careful of those red headed ladies-they will take your world for a spin :D
wsp,
TEASE!? lol-hmmm? maybe sometimes-but you started it. :D
hc porter
This was fun! I know some people who are redheads, and some of them do have the temperament of the eponimous redheads history mentions, but then I was thinking of some Irish and Scottish people I know, and this made me smile. Especially these jokes, which made me laugh. I'd lke to show this to some of my pals, see what they think. The redheads get a lot of slagging for being red-haired. It's discrimination I tell ya! It's interesting that their hair doesn't go grey either. The things you learn on Hub Pages! : )
Cheeky Girl,
Glad you enjoyed this one-it was fun writing. Didnt realize so many people would enjoy reading it. Those crazy Red Heads- I remember hating my hair as a kid-partly the color then partly the curls-it was crazy and everywhere :)
It's funny how things like our hair-our birthdays are said to assist in determining our personalities.
Thanks for reading
HC Porter
Love this Hub!!!! Redheads Rock!!!
Daytona
Thanks Phone Detective-I must say I completely agree :D
HC Porter
Thank you H.C.Porter. It made for interesting reading that's for sure. I've only dated on Red-head in my life and I'm going to leave the results to your imagination. However, if it matters, I am single to give you a hint. :) Btw- nicely written Hub.
LOL- yeah, you better be careful- some redheads will chew you up and spit you out
hc
Ever since Ginger appeared on Gilligan's Island, I've had a fondness for redheads. Thanks, your hub was fun to read.
Ginger was the equivalent to the drop dead gorgeous red head. LOL- although I recall her being somewhat prissy and fitting into a blond stereo type. :D Thanks for the comment
hc
As far as a woman's hair is concerned, they can be any colors as long as they are natural. I don't like hair that are too curvy or stiff like a brush.
I haven't dated a red head so far, so I can't comment on that.
Nobody has mentioned the redhead from Desperate Housewives (well, ok I admit it.... I didn't check)..... she was the first redhead I fell in love with.... even if it was only an airbrushed photo, and for 5 minutes.
Sean-thanks for the comment, All women are beautiful-I just wrote about redheads for obvious reasons...LOL
Ryan, Thanks for reading-The redhead from Desperate Housewives is actually the Top Redhead (rating wise) right now. I think i read she is considered The Most Desirable Redhead. Thanks for reading and commenting :)
I always think red color hair is pretty. However, the freckles are not.
I like your photos, the redhead from 'that 70's show' is quite hot x
Dao Hoa,
Thanks for the comment. I do agree- I hated the freckles I use to have on my cheeks as a child, Thanks goodness I grew out of that one :)
Richie,
She is pretty, but in my opinion Amy Adams is a much prettier redhead... But that is my opinion.
hc porter
Very interesting HubPage. I enjoyed reading it. I am acquainted with Scott (Carrot Top) who is from Orlando, where I live. To me, Nicole Kidman is an awesome looking woman. Thanks!
Thanks for reading James, I appreciate your comments. All I can say is, if you personally know Carrot Top- tell him I am sorry for using him for the example for the not so gorgeous Red Head :)
hc porter
Loving the redhead material. Being a redhead myself, one of the first articles I published was on Suit101.com, about redheads. So, you can imagine I was happy to see that you have your own redhead piece as well over here =)
Thank globalserenity, glad to see another redhead to publicize the characteristic. Thanks for commenting :) I will have to read yours :)
hc porter
Great hub! Is there anything better than being a redhead? I think not! ;)
Disturbia,
Agreed- it is a desired quality and tool to have possession of. Thanks for your comment
hc porter
wow, very informative. Loved it.
nikki1, thanks for leaving a comment, I am glad that you enjoyed it
hc porter
very good hub...I understand how red heads are treated differently because I am left handed and faced similar situations. I do like that Bruce Springsteen song you mentioned. I dated a red head in college and she was exactly how you described...thanks
mtsi-thanks for stopping by :)
I am not sure if your experience was a favorable one or not-but I am glad that you took the time to read and comment on this hub :D
My experience was favorable...I think red heads are certainly a different personality though and most seem to come from Texas (which is a good thing as well)...thanks
mtsi1098- LOL, thanks for stopping back by and responding to my comment :) I must agree that redheads have different personality traits than others (more dramatic-so it seams) . Glad you had a favorable experience/ dont wanna be given a bad wrap because of a sour seed in the bunch :)
by the way - nice avatar...
Lol---thanks so much :)
Interesting info about red-heads. thanks for this hub.
My third daughter is a red-head, as is my mother in law! I, on the other hand, have auburn hair - closer to brown, but with the red highlights.
agaglia, Thanks for reading. I didnt realize that hair color said so much about the individual. based on your photo- i would say you are a red head as well :) thanks again for stopping by :)
Once you go red it goes straight to your head...
I can't decide which is the most outstanding quality of the red heads I have known, befriended and dated over the years (five women as friends and lovers, and good friends with three men to be exact)...their quick yet dangerous witty sense of humor, their natural brains disguised as common sense, or they're naturally over the top skills sexually. Plus they can dress in colors and clothing that none of the other hair colors can. I alas am brown eyed brown haired so I am but a mere mortal to your red haired all powerful goddessness...LOL
Great hub, will be passing it on to my several fair ginger and other shades of red haired friends.
Keep on Hubbing HC. Blake4d
blake- Thanks for the comment- lol, those red heads can drive a normal person insane...and feel no guilt, lol...
I personally love red heads --- you said "I am a crazy- intuitive- emotionally spun girl...and I refuse to apologize at all for any of it." ..... cool with me babe!
neil sperling,
LOL, thanks for reading and for commenting-glad you liked the hub and all the red heads out there :)
For all the redheads out there, natural or color-treated, an excellent way to keep your hair color looking vibrant is to use a good color depositing shampoo/conditioner. Loreal used to have a great line called Artec, but is has been discontinued. http://www.haircareusa.com lists come great alternatives, including Claypac Red Shampoo and Condition by Altobella, and All-Nutrient Color Shampoo and Tressa Watercolors Shampoo. Alternate with your favorite regular (or color-protecting shampoo for color-treated hair) for great, vibrant, long-lasting reds!
coolhairmike- well thanks for the product drop...
Yay for redheads!!!
ashatt,
lol, exactly :) we make things better :)
badcompany77
Thanks for the comment-I was surprised to learn that many people feel the way you feel in regards to red heads- :)
BadCompany- Thank you for the comment- it was a nice compliment, that I am not sure I am deserving of the flattery-but thank you regardless:)
Interesting hub. I too have red hair. My girlfriend is convinced that all red heads are overachiever "Type A" people and says she wants to do a study on that someday. I know a few slacker redheads though! I never knew redheads were burned for "being witches" - interesting.
iron racer,
there are many interesting facts about redheads- some I think are myths but some are still cool to consider. Why red hair has such a personality generalization attached to it I am not sure, but I have grown fond of my unique hair color :) Thanks for the comment :)
Carrottop = "Not so Gorgeous" you are hilarious!
Skozak- thanks for the comment and I am glad I could make you laugh. :)
There is talk of redheads dying out as they interbreed with non redheads. But they seem to keep sprouting up all over the place, even in my household.
lyndoman
thanks for the comment...glad you found time to read this hub. yep...we are a dying bread, yet we do tend to make an appearance now and again
Love this! It makes me so much more proud to be a redhead.
Red haired women are truly remarkable, fiesty, stubborn attractive, and downright beautiful. I might be a little biased though, being married to one. :)
Little_Abby
thanks! I am so glad I could give you something to enjoy. We are certainly a dying breed :)
Assassin Fred
Wow... that is a truly accurate description :) Our fiesty personalities add to our appear and are complimented by the hair color :)
I would say the world needs more Red Heads, but I am not sure if the world could handle any more of us :) Thanks for the comment :)
H.C , I have not taken the chance to congratulate you on a 100 score so here it is , You have bared your soul here on the pages to the point of allowing everyone to get to know you and your great family . Your hubs are well rounded entertaining and informative. I am a lover of poetry and yours are great ! Thanks for gving soo much to us. You are a great example to all, Ed. Oh, and I too have a red streak of hair and personality to go with it , at least before I turned grey!
I have wished for red hair lots of times, I think it's beautiful. And Anne of Green Gables is one of my major inspirations, with her fiery temper and her enthusiasm for life. She was always wishing for raven black hair, but I always wished for her colour.
Great hub. Voting up!
Linda.
ahorseback,
Thank you so much for the comment and for the congrats. I am honored that you as well as others have taken a liking to my writing and continue to read it. Hub Pages has been great to me and for me, allowing me to express my personality in so many different ways. Thank you for all your support, I appreciate all the comments and support you give.
Lady Wordsmith ,
Thank you, Thank you... Anne of Green Gables was one of my favorite movies from my childhood...it reminds me of simpler times and reminded me it was okay to be a little different from everyone else (as she was). Thanks for the rate up and the comment, I appreciate you reading my writing :)
As a red head, I can say your information is very correct. I personally think us red heads tend to be more extreme than even you described. But, to be on the safe side, we'll leave it at that. LOL! Really enjoyed it.
gitrdun4444... yes we should stay on the safe side-and not give away too many of our secrets... one of our powers is to always keep the guessing :) Thanks for the comment and for reading, I am glad that you enjoyed the hub :)
I met a red head Irish-Native American that claimed to have Cheyenne etnich background. She is a perfect bitch, manipulative, horney, and capable to involve either males or females in her erotic game. She got divorced when her 28 years old older son was 9 and her younger 22 was 3. She never resolve the problem to be rejected by her husband who used her all the way (i.e. financially, sexually, et cetera). Red-heads are in many cases false people, not trustable, and they like show off and manipulate others. Is it something in their genes? Perhaps!
Alexa Teotihuacan-
Thank you for your perspective-although I do not agree. False is a very negative statement-perhaps true in some cases, but it can also be said for any hair color; blonde, brunet, black, whatever... Again thanks for reading and for commenting, I am sorry for your dislike of red hair, and for your experience, it is a shame.
I'm not sure if you're a Doctor Who fan but, the whole fandom is very fond of red-heads because the show really shines a good light on them!
the Doctor has had two different amazing red-headed companions and every time he 'regenerates' he's always disappointed to find out he's not ginger (haha)
you should watch it it's really good.
very nice article/post/whatever you wanna call it!
also i've had some experience with the whole "red-heads bleed more" thing, i think it's probably true to an extent
Ashley,
Thanks for reading... i guess it would be disappointing to wake up every morning not knowing you are a hot red head, lol. As far as the bleeding thing goes... I must say i am a bleeder, and suffer from a genetic bleeding disorder called Von Willebrand disease (so once again, in my case...again a true finding considering :) Thanks so much for your comment, I am glad you liked the hub :)
I'd rather be dead than red on the head!
That was the taunt I lived with as a child. Now, I know I'd rather be red than dead. I get the last laugh :-)
austinstar, why hello there fellow redhead/texan... I feel you- childhood was torcher but as i became older, i realized that having red hair made me unique and i should embrace the quality. now i own the red hair, lol...
Me too. I especially love the fact that it will never go grey. Woot!
Yes Ma'am...but I am not too sure I want to go white either? Oh well...age in inevitable :)
Im a natural red hair with short hair from the UK, and I have definitely taken my fair share of taunts because of it. i must admit I am definitely an extreme joker and maybe slightly hyperactive! And my temper only flares up when I get really mad, but man do I get mad! Like kinda scary. But im slowly starting to come to grips with my hair and im starting to like it, theirs hope for me yet! All my love to my fellow redheads around the world! :)
Gingeeeee, embrace the hair- own it, and wear it with pride, we are a dying bread and we should all be so proud to be so unique. :) I think your experience with red hair is a common story...for some reason, red is different enough to earn taunts as a child-yet jealousy as an adult... not sure which is worse...thanks for the comment :)
Hey, what a lovely post...having a soft spot for redheads myself (My 'first love' was a redhead)I clicked 'beautiful' for the post. It was also the first post of yours that I read, and having just joined Hub pages, the first hub I have read on here. How about that!
ignitethespark, GREAT! Welcome to Hubpages... I am happy that you are here and I greatly appreciate you taking the time to read and comment on my article (first!). I hope that you find much on the site that you enjoy reading. Happy Hubbing!
well we have alot in common. i am too a scorpio and i am also very sensitive and emotion. but i also stick up for myself. ....other thing. redheads are crazy. im definetly crazy :D i love what you posted deary.
See I do not think it is just the hair that makes a redhead...it is also the unpredictable spontaneous personalities...cheers from a red hand to a red head :)
kaitlyn, Thank you for your comment-I truly appreciate the feedback. I love the fact that I am a little off when compared to the rest of the world... it helps me own the red hair. :) As I can tell by your comment, assists you in owning yours :)
mts1098- very true...the personality created the truth behind the head heads persona...it is a package deal for sure :)
ralwus 2 years ago
Very interesting, and now I know why it always takes more Novocaine for me. I always wondered about that one. I am part Scottish, some red in my hair, but mostly my beard. I love redheaded women. Good job on your research and the jokes are great. Thanks, CC