It's time to talk about the best thing ever: red hair.
Over the course of my entire life, I have been told how beautiful my hair is. Strangers have stopped me out in public to ask where I got my hair from, and my friends and family have never let forget how much they love my hair. Being a redhead truly is a blessing to me, and as I’ve grown up I’ve realized that there are so many unique facts behind the color.
To all my fellow redheads, be thankful for your gorgeous head of hair.
1. It’s the rarest color in the world!
Less than 2 percent of the world’s population are redheads. The majority of that population is in Western Europe, especially Scotland and Ireland.
2. Our hair won’t gray.
It will simply fade to a lighter blonde color until it turns white. We'll never not have color in our hair, and that's pretty cool.
3. We have our own festivals, such as Redhead Days.
They take place all over the world, including the Netherlands, Australia and the United States.
4. It’s harder to dye a head of natural red hair, because the pigments are held stronger than any other hair color.
5. We make our own Vitamin D in our bodies.
Redheads tend to have lower amounts of eumelanin in their bodies, resulting in their bodies having to make up for their lack of Vitamin D absorption themselves. What's great is that redheads can do this in low-light settings, too.
6. Fashion has no limits for us redheads.
We can pull off ‘redhead friendly’ colors, including purples, blues, greens and neutrals.
7. The best Disney princess is a redhead.
Who doesn't love a redheaded mermaid, am I right?
8. We have the best personalities, full of loyalty, adventure and a fiery temper.
Don't mess with a redhead, people.
9. Red-headed men are actually less likely to develop prostate cancer.
Research shows that redheaded men will have over a 50 percent chance of not developing the cancer.
10. While we have less hair on our heads, the hair we do have is much thicker (and better, obviously.)
Compared to blondes, who have an average of 110,000 strands, and brunettes, who have an average of 140,000 strands, redheads have an average of 90,000 strands of fiery red hair. The thickness of our hair makes up for it, though, giving the appearance that we actually might have more hair than any other hair color.
11. We can more easily detect a change in temperature than anyone else.
The ginger gene (MC1R) is the primary cause of our heightened awareness to temperature change. The gene is also said to be responsible for having our skin burn more easily and giving us a lower pain tolerance than everyone else.
12. We always stand out.
There’s no blending into a crowd as a redhead.
It's great being a redhead, there's no denying that. I'm thankful every day for the incredibly recessive genes that gave me this hair.
It's OK to be jealous, by the way. I would be, too, if I wasn't a redhead.
