I also remember having red-haired school friends who were often ridiculed and teased about the colour of their hair, being called carrot head or ginger head.
Apparently 6per cent of people in North West Europe have red hair, the redness varying from a deep burgundy to auburn or orange, which is caused by the high levels of a reddish pigment and low levels of a dark pigment.
Red heads have a genetic variant which gives them red hair. Red hair is close to Celtic nations, Ireland has the largest number of redheads in the world, followed by Great Britain, Scotland too, as Edinburgh is the red-head capital of the world ! Red hair is also often associated with Jewish populations, many Jewish men have red beards, Judas was usually depicted as having red hair. People with red hair also often have fair skin, light coloured eyes and freckles and have a sensitivity to light and sunburn, it was also discovered that they have a large tolerance to pain and produce more vitamin D than those with brown or blonde hair. Red hair may fade in colour but it never goes grey !
Red hair is the rarest natural colour in humans, often seen as an advantage in Northern climates where sunlight is scarce and the light, non-tanning skin encourages high levels of vitamin D and so help retain the heat better for redheads are sensitive to temperature changes.
It is commonly believed that red headed people are hot headed, often losing their temper quickly and have a sharp tongue, saying what they think. They are often seen as outgoing and adventurous, creative and artistic, like to travel and are passionate and intense. There is a National Red Head Day in November which celebrates this unique hair colour. The word « red head » has been used for many centuries, « ginger » being used more in Britian and Ireland to describe this special hair colour.
There are indeed many famous redheads, Van Gogh, Queen Elizabeth I, Henry VIII, Prince Harry, perhaps the most famous French redhead was William the Conqueror.
It certainly seems impossible to hide when you are a redhead, the colour is so striking and noticeable and as one redhead said ‘life is too short to have boring hair ». My rehead friends seem happy and proud of their superpower hair colour, they have lived with their red hair and its consequences all their lives and one of them said there is a quote about redheads and their freckles, that she likes – « a face without freckles is like a night without stars ».
