So I’ve mentioned about life with ASD, but I’ve not really talked about life as a redhead, a natural one as I’m naturally ginger and a bloke. One thing to get used to, you are the only ginger for miles. It’s estimated that there are about 1.5% of people on this earth with natural red hair, the UK has the highest proportion of redheads however, but there are unique problems associated with red hair.
Not the obvious, so keep that off the comments please! What better time to talk about it during a heatwave in the UK and there is a reason for that.
Here is my new best friend, SPF 50+ sun cream. At the moment, I feel like I am married to the bloody stuff. But anyway:
- Summers = death!
No, really! The problem is that a lot of redheads have really fair skin and anything more than 20 minutes in the sun is a death sentence. Over a UV of 3, you better run and hide in the shade as nothing will stop you burning, nothing! Oh, stock up on that SPF 50+ and after sun, you WILL need it a lot! Either that or the first sign of sun, you’ll be heading for shade before you burn to a crisp in about 5 minutes flat.
– Compliments
Get used to them, you’ll get that a lot “Oh, I love your hair colour”, “I wish I could have your hair colour”, “It’s soo beautiful”. Etc etc, but….
– Insults
Expect to have a barrage of them, I mean A LOT OF THEM. Ginger P word (I wish that was considered a racist slur, but who’s going to listen to me? I find it offensive as it’s embarrassing. I can’t use the same phrase to anyone with a different hair colour). Ginger nuts – maybe I should throw a pack of them at someone, get back in your biscuit tin. I’ve heard it all. The annoying bit? I’ve challenged the BTP on this, but the insults are not defined as racist and I think they should be defined as race hate, but the abuse? So, if someone has a different skin colour to me, they can go to the police and get someone done for race hate with little evidence. The moment you are a ginger with the same problem? “Sorry, not interested”.
- Support
As above, don’t expect any, society doesn’t want to know, the police don’t want to know, the politicians don’t want to know, no one wants to know, until redheads are gone for good, but by then, its too late anyway, we are already going extinct, it won’t be long until we literally are.
– Pain
What pain? I wondered why I can get away with twisting my ankle, cutting my skin and so far, not breaking a bone. Oh, that might be because of my milk input? Anyway, a friend of mine screamed out in pain after he hit the wooden bit to his bed more recently. Me? Ahh, that’s nothing, I keep going. Scientifically, redheads do have a higher pain tolerance, it seems to be true, I’ve somehow tripped into a road in Bognor Regis (kerb was high), twisted my ankle, got up, hobbled for a bit and continued like nothing happened – until the next day that is.
– Dating and sex (for blokes?)
In my unique case? Forget it! Seriously, it’s a joke. To add to the insult list “Sorry, don’t date gingers”, time and time again. That is the highest rejection reason, if not the only I got through my entire life. I did try to date a ginger and the result? “Gingers don’t date other gingers” which is sort of true, because everyone assumes we are bother and sister. Seriously!? Mine 2 sisters have dark hair, I was the only one cursed with the ginger gene, even that wasn’t suppose to happen according to my DNA. I tried to keep this off my blog but go on, you must know, sex life is non existent, I mean, non existent compared to other blokes. In fact, with the whole scheme of things, spend more time on my own than I do with a parter and it has taken a toll on my mental health. Considering I’m nearly 40, without kids, no marriage and only just getting a stable job. I also have ASD so here () and here () explains my ASD problems.
Did I mention also I am even more rare than you think? You see most redheads have green eyes, it’s a recessive trait. I have blue eyes which is also more dominant but rare as hens teeth in redheads.
– Highly visible
From a mile away. Honestly, I don’t need to see the person in my eye line before I get the abuse. However, in a large crowd? Oh spotting me is easy as hell. I’ll never get lost as that orange flashing beacon on my head is always lit saying “I’m here, I’m here! FIND ME”
– Other cultures.
UK? One thing, foreigners? Completely different experience. Why? They are more likely to be struck by lightning than to see a redhead. Not that I can tolerate hot climates. I can’t at all. I’m happier in the northern hemisphere and well away from the equator or even tropics of cancer. The further north I go, the better it is. Cooler weather? Love it! Hot weather? Hide. Anyway, other cultures for these reasons don’t tend to get redheads, so there is a lot of superstition that goes with it. Like seeing a yellow car. Oh and you get a LOT of attention.
In fact, it’s considered unlucky to have redhair (look above), but if you rub a redhead, it’s meant to symbolise good luck in a number of cultures, for someone that doesn’t like being touched. Interesting.
- It’s hard to replicate and it’s hard to dye.
Yeah, don’t think about it. Really, don’t. Best keep the hair.k
Honestly, I wouldn’t wish having red hair on anyone else, until society changes its outlook. It wouldn’t be hard, but that requires legislation to change and to be frank, it will never happen. Until enough of us make a noise.