I enjoyed reading an article about red hair by Joyce Corrigan in the September issue of Marie Claire magazine. Corrigan mentions that red hair is rare (less than 2% of the population) and apparently it’s trendy on fashion runways this season. She talks about what redheads tend to be known for: being bold, outspoken, and courageous (as well as moody and unruly). She also mentions how red hair tends to fade or darken as we age, and she wonders: “If I’m no longer standing out [via hair color], does that mean I’m no longer outstanding?”
Like Corrigan, I am a redhead whose hair has darkened over the years. I’m often mistaken now for brunette, which bums me out, but if you catch me in direct sunlight you’ll see evidence of my natural red, which, when I was younger, was closer to strawberry blond. Since my red hair is no longer obvious, I, like Corrigan, worried if that meant the redheaded personality I always felt I possessed was also fading?
However, internally, I still possess every bit a redhead’s constitution (with Scorpio mixed in — pow!). Therefore, I’m going to conclude that, while my external redheadedness may no longer be obvious, my internal redhead lives on, and her power and fiestiness remain unsubdued. So watch out, world, because the redheads are here to stay!
The red-headed phenomenon has of course been celebrated in literature. Here are some books about redheads you can read and enjoy.
Red: A History of the Redhead by Jacky Colliss Harvey
The Big Redhead Book: Inside the Secret Society of Red Hair by Erin La Rosa
A Field Guide to Redheads: An Illustrated Celebration by Elizabeth Graeber
And for kids, Freckleface Strawberrry by well-known redheaded actor Julianne Moore
All can be purchased through Open Book Bookstore, in-store or online by clicking HERE.
p.s. As I have written this, I have consistently been making a typo, typing readhead instead of redhead. I guess my deeper true nature is inadvertently coming out: I am a real readhead!