Redheads

Tips for Beautiful Redheads and Gorgeous Gingers

Very few hair colors elicit the kind of gut-level reaction that redheads do. When they see ginger-colored hair, some people literally 'see red', while others feel a 'warm glow'. It seems to be an extreme reaction - whether it's positive or negative. I, personally, am passionately disposed in favor of red hair, having known some very remarkable people throughout my life, all of whom had varying shades of red hair.

And perhaps my feelings are genetically inherited. You see, while I consider myself to be your typical American mutt, I have strong Scots-Irish ancestry from both sides of my family. My mother's grandfather was a first-generation Irish-American born to immigrant parents, while my father's family was predominantly of Scottish and Irish descent. And this mix of genes blessed me with that certain shade of 'light brown hair' that goes ginger-red in the sun.

Redheads come in many, many shades - from the palest strawberry blondes to the darkest, ruby-tinged auburns. Red hair can be of any texture - coarse, normal, or fine - and can have any wave and growth pattern found in any other hair color. Redheads tend to have more dense hair, second only to blondes, but otherwise red hair is very similar to other colors. There are some exceptions, and here are some tips for people with red hair:

Sun Sensitivity:

Redheads have good reason to be extremely cautious in the sun. The red pigment of their hair is an inadequate filter for sunlight, and the skin of natural redheads tends to be highly susceptible to sunburn, freckling, skin cancers, and wrinkling with age. Parents of children with red hair should be sure to instill the habit of wearing sunscreen, hats, and other protective clothing to ward off the potential damage from the sun.

Older natural redheads should be especially diligent in their skin care regimens. Keeping the skin moisturized and protected from damage by the sun's UVA and UVB rays is a key step in preventing premature aging and potentially deadly melanoma. Redheads should also be keenly aware of any freckles, moles, and spots on the skin and visit a dermatologist regularly to have them checked for precancerous conditions.

Avoiding Color Clash:

All red hair has either red or orange pigmentation as the base color for the hair. Brighter, fiery reds and bright strawberry blondes tend to be orange-based, and their owners often have pale skin and freckling. For these redheads, the eyes can be almost any color, but do tend to be of a lighter shade, and bright blues and greens are commonly seen.

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