Yes, it's my real hair color and no, I didn't marry a nice Irish boy.
1. Complete strangers making snap judgments about your heritage.
"I bet you're Irish!" they'll say. Maybe you are, maybe you aren't. Either way, it's weird. Newsflash! Redheads come from places other than just Ireland.
2. Everyone wondering which family member your red-hair gene came from.
Then, if you decide to humor them and name a relative, they'll casually show off their superior knowledge of genetics by saying something like, "You know, you have to have the gene on both parents' sides of the family to end up with red hair. Who's the second person?"
3. The awkwardness of distant relatives encouraging you to "meet a nice redheaded mate" at family events.
So you can make more people with auburn manes, of course, because redheads are going extinct, didn't you know? (P.S. They're not.)
4. Hearing "Is that your real hair color?" every time you go to new salon.
This is almost always followed by the advice that you didn't ask for "never dye it!" and, in some cases, the stylist's sworn oath that she wouldn't color your locks even if you begged her to.
5. Needing more anesthesia when you go under the knife.
A 2004 study published in the journal Anesthesiology concluded that significantly more anesthesia was needed to block pain in redheads than brunettes. "Whenever I have patients with red hair, I'm ready to
give them more anesthesia before I do a biopsy," says dermatologist Delphine Lee, M.D., Ph.D., of Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, CA.
6. Having to slather yourself in sunscreen and wear a massive sun hat, even if you're just walking the dog around the block.
Painful sunburns aside, you know you have an abnormally high risk of developing skin cancer. According to a recent study in the journal Nature Communications, the effect of the "red hair gene" (MC1R) is the equivalent of an extra 21 years of sun exposure "in terms of cancerous changes," according to BBC News.
It's an alarming statistic for sure, but Dr. Lee says there are plenty of other skin-cancer factors you can control. For one, avoiding exposure to UV light with more than sunscreen. "Instead of globbing on cream, cover yourself with sun-protective clothing and broad-brimmed hats," says Lee.
7. Speaking of which, a trip to the beach is a massive undertaking.
Not only do you have to cover every inch of your body with sunscreen (did you get the ears?), you need to haul that beach tent, along, too. "Stay under an umbrella when you're at the beach," advises Lee. "Women who take good care of their skin are awesome. There's a reason we used to carry parasols: It was considered beautiful to be fair." Honestly, we'd rather just skip the beach and relax in our air conditioned living room where we won't get burned, thank you very much.
Not only do you have to cover every inch of your body with sunscreen (did you get the ears?), you need to haul that beach tent, along, too. "Stay under an umbrella when you're at the beach," advises Lee. "Women who take good care of their skin are awesome. There's a reason we used to carry parasols: It was considered beautiful to be fair." Honestly, we'd rather just skip the beach and relax in our air conditioned living room where we won't get burned, thank you very much.
8. Everyone calling you "Ginger" or "Red."
No, Mr. Construction Worker, shouting "Hey Red!" at me is not the best way to call me.
9. People remembering you long after they probably should.
Redheads account for less than 2 percent of the people all over the world. There's no way you're blending into the crowd with such a salient head of hair, so you might as well own it!
tag: Redhead, Problem, Red, Color, Ginger, Anesthesia, Gene , Salon, Dye, health center