Being a natural redhead my whole life my hair has always been a talking point with family friends and even strangers. It seems like everyone has something to say about the color of my hair, so as you can probably guess I’ve had some strange conversations with people about it, and it affects my life in some weird ways.
- Being Compared to Every Redhead Tv/Movie Character Ever
-
I swear I have been told I look like almost every single movie or tv show character that has red hair, The Little Mermaid, Merida from the movie Brave, Kim Possible, Daphne from Scooby-Doo, I could keep going. I come from a big family, I have 3 sisters and we all have red hair so we’ve even been called the Weasleys from Harry Potter. I never felt like I was unique or that my hair color was uncommon because I had my siblings as a reference point. Having the representation through shows helped me to understand the beauty and accept the fact that I was the only redhead in class. This is why representation is so important – it allows kids to feel like they belong even when they have the smallest differences. I take these as compliments and I like to have fun with it, it gives me plenty of Halloween costume ideas!
- Needing More Anesthesia
-
I know this sounds crazy but it’s true! I’ll spare you the complicated sciencey stuff but basically, being a redhead requires a genetic mutation so the mutated gene that makes hair red, MC1R, also affects pain receptors so gingers need more anesthesia to numb the same amount of pain. This is definitely one of the stranger ways my hair affects me and my life so I keep it stored with my other random facts for entertainment purposes.
- People Making Assumptions About My Personality
-
I have noticed people tend to assume that because of my hair I have a bad temper and I am feisty, I have no idea where this stereotype comes from, I feel like it doesn’t make much sense (like all stereotypes). Even still, people have said to me point blank “oh you’re a redhead? You must have a real temper huh” super weird, not fun, wouldn’t recommend it as a first liner to get my attention ngl.
- The Constant Jokes
-
What do you call it when a redhead goes off the deep end? A ginger snap.
If I had a dollar for every time I heard this joke I would be coming for the net worth of the Kardashians. There are so many more too and it’s great because everyone thinks they are being original with them as if I have not been hearing every single one since the day I was born. I do think they are funny and I do laugh every time, I just sometimes wish for some new and fresh content ya know?
