I was always the little girl with jet-black, curly hair. Fast forward many years, I still have that black hair but I’ll never forget how much I wanted to have red, blonde, or even brown hair. Even at a very young age, I could see how different personalities sprung from kids with certain hair colors. I thought it would be fun to look into this idea further and find out if the description of what hair colors say about a person are actually true. Since we are in the middle of a heatwave, I thought that I’d start out with something “red” hot!
I remember a friend that my brother had when he was a kid. She had fire engine red hair with very light skin. I thought she was a living doll. My brother was always with this girl, also known as his best friend (he actually had a big crush on ).
The funny thing is that red hair has always been associated with people of Irish origin. Well, my brother’s friend was not Irish, nor is the girl he ended up marrying (also a red head). The truth is that only %10 percent of Irish people have red hair. A very popular myth associated with red hair is that people with red hair have a fiery temperament. This idea has also been evident in the literary world, just look at Achilles, a red head and main character of Homers Iliad. Enough said.
In the modern world, red hair became especially coveted amongst women when Queen Elizabeth wore her beautiful red hair in the royal hair styles of the time. Women with red hair were the most popular subjects painted by famous artists from that time period. Today, hundreds of celebrities proudly display their red tresses for the camera. Some of my favorite red head celebrities include Molly Ringwald, Gillian Anderson, and Ann Margaret. For those who don’t have red hair, they have made up for it by purchasing red hair dye, which is the most purchased color by both men and women today.
On the natural and more spiritual side of red hair dye, people from countries like India, Israel, and Pakistan, have used henna for thousands of years. Henna is a pure, natural product made from the leaves of different plants. According to mehandi.com, “henna was believed to have the quality of “Baraka” meaning “blessedness” or “grace.” It was believed to be able to avert the evil eye and thwart demons that caused disease, depression and misbehavior.” By the second half of the 19th century, Henna had made its way to the hearts and minds of European women as they were intrigued by the glamorous lives led by women from Middle Eastern countries. “Henna” was the universal term for hair dye at the beginning of 1900, and was the safest, most widely used, most reliable hair dye until the technology of para-phenylenediamine dye was transferred from the textile and fur industry into the cosmetic industry in the late 1930’s.” source, hennaforhair.com.
Have you ever wanted to be a red head? If you want to be a red head now, would you use Henna or hair dye?
53 Comments Post a comment
no happy being a brunette
I’m not totally sure about the red hair hot temper however I have brown hair and a major temper!!!
Thanks
I am a redhead. It has gotten darker as I’ve gotten older, so I do dye it a little brighter now. I’ve always liked it, even when others didn’t. Red is popular now, but it wasn’t when I was a kid. I’ve heard all about the “red-headed step-child.” @@
People remember me in part because of my hair. I’ve heard, “I remember you. You’re the short redhead” on many occasions.
Interesting article!
Tweet: http://twitter.com/ReizaM/status/19043931547
My mom has red hair and can get hot real fast.
I had reddish brown hair and used henna on it and loved it
now my hair is gray
I am a red head…. and yes, I do have a temper!
http://twitter.com/stephifrsweeps/status/19044085960
I let my husband colour my hair all the time. He even gets to pick out the colours. I’ve been red, brown and blond. We use hair dye.
I am a redhead, and have a temper. ALways wanted to be a blond. Now I dont care to be a blonde, after seeing that I dont look good in blond
I’ve always gone between red and black, sometimes both – my natural boring brown was never good enough for me. I find that when I get bored with life, I want to go red, it doesn’t make me have a hot temper but it DOES make me fiery!
I have brown hair, but since covering it, it has gotten pretty dull looking, so I have it highlighted (with blonde, my skin tone sadly wouldn’t work with reddish tints-found it out the hard way). I love it!
I have golden brown hair, but “pull red”, meaning I have to be very, very careful when I get my hair colored. I don’t appear to be red-headed…but-
I have the “ills” of the red-head, the fair skin that burns from two seconds in the sun, and now, as I am getting older, the days that I laid out in the sun and fried myself in baby oil have caught up to me, with TONS of freckles!
In answer to your question…No, I wouldn’t want to be a redhead. But I love them just the same:-)
I love being a brunette!!!!!
I’m a red-head without a temper. I was rather sad when my hair changed color when I turned 13. I had been a blond, and didn’t want to be a red-head, since all 13 year olds know that blonds have more fun!
At this point in my life I enjoy my red hair. It does make me memorable, and helps me stand out in a crowd. Now I’m waiting to see if my blond daughter will also become a red-head.
Never wanted to change my hair color. Although, i did consider henna to bring out my red hilights. However, I thought against it because my hair doesn’t get exposed to the sun, but my wig does, and I didn’t want to have to dye both my hair and my fall so that they would match.
I tried to go red once, my hair didn’t take it very well, three weeks later I was back to being a burnette, only I had a tint of red in it.
Worst 460 I spent!!
I’ll still for the browns and carmels!
I always loved red hair! i think it’s gorgeous, and it doesn’t always come along with a temper
I am a red head and have a temper, so I guess I make the stereotype true. I am regularly remembered as “the girl with the red hair.” I have had people ask if they could touch my hair, usually bubbie-type ladies, and while it’s a little strange, I usually agreed. Since getting married, and covering my hair, my grandmother has not been thrilled with my covering my hair, as it hides the red. But my sheital is red, and pretty much the same color. I enjoy being a red head.
I am happy to be a natural blonde and wouldn’t switch – here is a quote from a close friend with red hair – carrot tops aren’t red!
My mom is a red head (actually more grey now) and has been all her life. She grew up in San Antonio, TX, among dark headed Mexicans and the brunette hair of her family, needless to say, she stuck out and she wasn’t too happy about it. But over the years she accepted her hair color as a part of who she is and she never once dyed it. None of her kids got her red hair, but there are two little grandsons and a step-grandson running around with red hair…she is very proud of that.
when coloring my hair blonde I get reddish tones; when I was younger I cared… now I don’t cuz it’s always covered.
I have always wanted a red headed child, but do not have one. Through the years I have had: blond hair as a child, light brown in my teens and 20′s, and now in my 30′s after 2 pregnancies I have dark brown hair. I feel The Father has done the job of changing my hair color for me. Idon’t color my hair, but if the Henna would wash out it might be fun to try.
I think that red heads are beautiful but I am happy being a brunette. My grandmother thought that redheaded children were ugly and said she hoped none of her grand children had red hair, No very nice right.. Well it turned out that all of her great grandchildren were born with red hair after she passed away..
i’m a redhead and don’t have a temper any more than anyone else. the only thing that DOES get me mad, is that if there is ever a time for me to get upset about something, everyone always says “oh it’s the red hair”
it’s so annyoying!
oh, and i always loved the color when i was growing up. it made me be more different (in a special way) than everyone else.
i was kinda sad when i had to cover it because it got darker.
but not sad about why i had to cover it.
I have never been a red head but I did recently dye my hair blonde from brunette. Thank god for brass banisher;)
i’m a strawberry blonde–people call me jinjy though. i have a temper and a quick, mean tongue though most of the time i’m pretty nice. love my hair color–don’t always love the attention it gets me. red heads go white faster… starting already. will definitely dye, not henna!
I have reddish brown hair and I love it! I’ll admit that by nature I do have a temper, but I’ve worked on it so it is not so bad anymore. It is also true – in case you were wondering – that redheads have more fun!
I never really wanted to be a red head, but I’ve had several red headed friends over the years. They were always fiery and fund so much fun to pull me along for! If I were to try red, I’d go henna.
I have a red tint to my hair and years ago I used to dye it even redder at the salon .I dont color my hair now because of the toxins and I love my natural hair color. If I did color my hair it would be because it went gray and then I would use henna.
I’ve always wanted red hair. Brown is so boring and blond … well there are too many jokes about blondes
But red makes a statement about you. It says “I’m not afraid to stand out in a crowd” and “I’m confident about me”
I have died my hair red in the past. I liked it , it was a fun color. Naturally am/was a brunette. Have goind “natural grey” at age 46. Started going grey at age 16, tired of dying it and you don’t see it under the covering anyway
Red hair doesn’t give me a hot temper any more than any certain shade of skin color would make me smart, mean, hard-working, lazy, clean, cheap, or worthy of respect. Being TOLD that my red hair must mean I have a hot temper… now, that does get me angry, for the same reason I’d be upset at being judged by my skin color.
That’s one of the biggest reasons why I eventually began covering my hair. I don’t like being called “Hey, Red” and I would rather have people deal with my face, where the emotions and thoughts are displayed. It’s also why I was thrilled to discover that my red hair was turning white very early in life (I noticed white hairs when I was about fourteen). “Finally,” I thought, “people will be judging my words and actions, and not all caught up in the fact that oooh, I’m a ‘fiery’ redhead!”
I’ve had red, blond and black but I prefer my natural brunette now, except maybe for a brightener to cover the gray.
i always wanted to be a redhead, when i was younger i decided to dye my hair on my own… 2 weeks before my sisters wedding (note of caution: dont do that) bad idea.
No, I never wanted to be a red head. I like my hair colour and I think that I won`t look pretty with red head because of my skin tone.
Great story about redheads! It’s true we redheads Have Attitude! Watch Out!
I think it would be cool to try red hair. I would use dye.
Brunette and loving it!
I have had auburn highlights before, but not brave enough to go completely red- although my temper would suggest otherwise, lol…
Your story is very similar to mine, I was born with coal black hair and my mother and two sisters were red heads, I always wanted read hair and when I was about 16 I started coloring it red. It has been every shade of red once even pink!! but that was an accident! LOL I have to say the term “fiery redhead” is true in my mothers case, she is a feisty one! I have used henna on my hair when I was younger, but now I use hair color.
personally I never liked red hair…I feel like it`d clash with my clothes!
My sister was a redhead but after several childhood operations her hair changed to light brown.
My hear is also brown although ive had it died auburn red a few times.My mum used henna dye but i dont like the smell and its harder to change colours later if you choose too.
I always thought red hair was gorgeous, but not on me.
I tweeted as well!
Oh interesting article. Well I’m not a red head and I can get a temper too but I don’t think it has anything to do with what color your hair is! And no I wouldn’t dye my hair red. I love my hair color now.. Dark brown hair.
Retweeted: http://twitter.com/OneUniqueQueen
I have many red headed friends and wouldn’t say they all have tempers! I have dirty blonde hair, and I’ve never dyed my hair so I guess I’m pretty happy with the color.
This was a very interesting article…I’m not quite sure how I’d describe my hair color. It’s brown, and blonde, and sometimes red…does anyone else seem to have every color of hair on their head?
Brunettes have level heads
Clearly the colour of your hair / skin says nothing about your character because people grow to become who they want to be. boo judging by externals!
my hair is red-brown, i would love it if it turned all the way red or brown. i would also LOVE jet black curly hair!