Gingersnaps

Every year, National Redhead day is celebrated on November 5th. This day is dedicated to gingers around the world to embrace their hair color whether it is natural or not. This day was created due to the “Kick a Ginger Day,” the day was created in order to spread positivity towards red hair. Full disclosure: As a redhead myself, I cannot recall the amount of times someone has commented on my hair in a negative way. These comments always made me want to change the color of my hair. My mom always told me how beautiful my hair was and I should never let others determine how I feel about it. National Redhead day, is special to me and others, to empower men and women.

Readings from Experts

Redheads indeed are rare. Less than two percent of our world’s population has red hair, and if they have blue eyes like me we’re are the “rarest” with one percent of the world’s population. We do have less hair, but thicker hair strands. Constantly, I am breaking hair ties to hold up this wild mane of mine! To make it all better, we will never turn gray! Our hair will go from red to blonde and finally to a white.

Red hair is beautiful, and there are many benefits and downsides to it. As redheads, we generate our own vitamin D because we have adapted to being in low light conditions considering we burn easily! This is easily a positive considering our skin is very sensitive. However, are some negatives. A recent study at the University of Louisville has shown the MC1R gene to show we need less vitamin D. Also, found in this study, the MC1R gene gives red heads the risk of getting melanoma, the worst case of skin cancer. Melanoma is the pigmentation of the skin, and looking at redheads we are pretty dang fair! There is a higher risk for Parkinson's Disease as well. At the Massachusetts General Hospital, there was a lab done in mice. In this lab, it was found that people with the MC1R gene produce less dopamine. Since there is less dopamine being made in the brain where the neurotransmitters are destroyed during Parkinson’s Disease.

It is said that redheads are guilty to having more dental office phobias. During dental surgeries we tend to have low reaction to numbing medications than other redheads. Redheads are known to be more sensitive to pain. We need 20% more anesthesia than other people because we do not react to the drug. In the end, we are tough and we know we can handle it. Take it from me, I’ve gone through an ACL surgery, the worst pain I have been through and I still beat that obstacle of my life.

Individual Analysis

Within my school, there are individuals who share the same hair color as me. In a way we all have some sort of connection. During my junior year here at Licking Valley, I had the honor of meeting Pete Stedman, a fellow redhead of mine. I interviewed Pete during our bestsellers class to get more information from him on what it is like being a redhead. Pete said that no one made fun of him when he was younger having red hair, it was more of a comment people made. “Hey you’ve got red hair,” was the comment he heard the most. This comment more or less was about making small talk, and further led to the question, “Where did you get your red hair from?” Pete mentioned that he has sensitive eyes, especially to sunlight. Along with sensitive eyes, he has sensitive skin. Being a redhead means applying lots of sunscreen during their life. I next asked Pete if anyone else in his family has red hair, he says his dad does, but now he is turning into a “grey head” instead of a redhead. Also, his sister Ruby has “dark brown hair, but it has this one red streak in it.” He says that he has never seen anything like it before.

I asked myself these same questions, being a redhead at my age brings a lot of compliments. There are days I am out in public and random people comment on my hair, and I can’t help but smile! I know that the hair on my head makes me stand out more than others, and I am okay with that. Along with being a redhead, I do believe there are some personality attributes. I gained the anger attribute, unfortunately I am a hot head and it is a blessing and a curse. I am also an Aries and we tend to have more of an attitude, and that goes right with my personality. In my family, I am currently the only one with red hair. My Great Grandpa Crile had red hair when he was living. My dad also has a bit of red in his beard, I am not entirely sure who I get it from. I do know that it is rare, and I am going to rock it.

Lastly, I talked to Ms. Phelps, teacher and another fellow redhead here at Licking Valley. I asked her the same set of questions Pete and I answered. Growing up as a redhead did not give Ms. Phelps any issues, she was never made fun of for having red hair. She did have the nickname “carrot-bottom,” because the top of a carrot is green, not red. She was also the only person in her class that had red hair. It is crazy to see how many individuals have red hair now compared to the amount of individuals that had red hair years ago. In her family, the only other people who have red hair are her niece and nephew, that are her brother’s children. Her kids do not have the great gene of red hair! Lastly, I asked her about the personality attributes that may come from redheads. She said “I think we joke more about the attributes than them being true.” She believes that the attributes make us redheads want to be better people. They are more of a characteristic than a personality. These characteristics give us redheads permission to be strong-willed and stubborn.

All in all, being a redhead is amazing. I know that having red hair is rare, which makes me rare. Redheads should not take their hair color for granted because it brings such beautiful characteristics to each specific person.