The Culture of Red

Since September 1, 2007 I have heard more about red hair than I ever cared to know. This was the day, my very own redhead came into the world. It shocked me to hear while the baby was crowning the Doctor ask, "Where's the red hair come from?" At the time I didn't know. It was only later that I found out that my paternal grandma had been a redhead long before I knew her in the days of fabulous wigs - oh to be wealthy and eccentric.

Each day after that first fateful day, I could not leave my house and not hear someone comment on the status of my son's hair. Truly the boy will be three in less than 3 short months and I don't think I have every gone out in public and not had someone say something. Often times I am confronted with the question "where does the red hair come from?" Depending on my mood and tiredness level my response varies from "The milkman" to the explanation that my husband grows red facial hair as well as my grandma being a redhead with several siblings with auburn tones in their hair. Obviously it is on both sides of the family, gentically speaking or this child's hair would not be, so I am often confused by the actual question or more accurately the person asking it.

Most presumptiously once while not in the mood to discuss my son's hair color I replied "I don't know" to the question. This woman looked at me and I started to feel guilty for being short and rude and ammended my response to include the long version of actual events including but not limited to my own surprise. In turn she responded something to the effect, oh so he wasn't switched in the hospital at birth. I had not previously thought of that but was still amused at her readiness to share her skepticism of his genetic origins.

Since all of this madness I have heard many facts and myths about the redhead population. They are almost a cultural group of their own with their own genetic strengths and weaknesses. So here are some of my favorites:

• Red hair is a genetic mutation, it emerged 50,000 years ago in Africa, the gene discovered only in 1995.
• Scotland has the highest redhead population (13%), next Ireland (10%), and USA (2%) and one of the least recorded France with (.002%).
• Redheads are harder to sedate requiring 20% more anesthesia.
• It is the most commonly picked home hair dye color with 30% of home dyers picking it.
• The fat of red-headed men was a key ingredient in deadly poisons 400 years ago.
• Less than 4% of the world's population is naturally red headed.
• Bees are thought to sting redheads more.
• They are usually fair skinned, burn in the son, have freckles, and an increased risk of skin cancer.
• Redheads tend to bleed more [different clotting factor] and have more allergies.

After all of those facts, largely discouraging, I found these:

• Redheads have fewer hairs on their head than blonds or brunettes, but their hair is almost always thicker.
• They don't turn grey, but turn a sandy color and then white.
• They loose their hair color later in life than most people.
• It is said that some real redheads have turquoise eyes.
• Redheads have more sex and more sexual partners.

Most widely known is the held belief that redheads are thought to have short tempers, but no one has ever seen a controlled study that tested the correlation. I never believed the stereotype before I had my very own redhead, but I must say that now I am a definitive believer. After talking with some teachers I found my opinion to be shared by most people who deal with children regularly. It may be the topic of my thesis when I go back to grad school. In the end I have learned that redheads really are a fascinating bunch if for no other reason than the shear attention they garner wherever they go. And to my very own special redhead, I love you buddy. I never pictured you before you were born, but you are constantly in my thoughts now and I can't live without you and all that crazy red hair.