As shocking as it may sound, natural redheads only makeup around 2% of the entire global population. While adorning the least common hair color known to man is a wonderous feat, it also comes with its own set of challenges. Those who were born with the fiery color are likely accustomed to the questions and comments they receive, but those who have turned to hair coloring in Florida at their local salon may be shocked at the interest their color piques in others. Discover some of the most common things that natural redheads hear:

1. Is Your Color Natural?

The top question that all redheads receive from others, especially in a salon setting, is regarding the authenticity of their color. While those who have dyed their hair a ruby red hue may be spared from the interrogation, those sporting more organic shades will undoubtedly be faced with an inevitable, “is your color natural?”. Natural redheads have likely heard this all their lives, but it may come as a surprise to someone who is rocking a believable shade that was curated at their local hair salon. This is also a common question that natural blondes receive frequently.

2. Do Your Family Members Have Red Hair Too?

After discovering that a redhead’s luscious locks are indeed naturally occurring, people are always curious to discover where the red hair came from. They may inquire about ancestry, especially since the gene that creates red hair is most associated with those of Northern or Northwestern European lineage. Surprisingly, however, there can be a single red-haired individual in a family thanks to the wonder of recessive genes. This means that a natural redhead may have two brunette or blonde parents and siblings with hair colors that run the gamut. This does make it likely that there was another redhead somewhere down the line in the family tree and it can be a fun activity to attempt to identify who, whether a great-great grandfather or a distant cousin.

3. I Want Your Hair Color!

Those who have been blessed with red hair are often the envy of the hair salon in Florida and around the globe. This unique trait is highly desirable, but the color is often difficult for others to replicate and pull off. This is likely because natural redheads have a specific mutation in their MCIR gene which increases the amount of phaeomelanin (or red pigment) and decreases the amount of eumelanin (dark pigment) that their bodies produce. Therefore, those with real ginger locks tend to also have pale skin, freckles, and pale colored eyes. A person with dark eyes and no freckles, for instance, will have a harder time making the color look natural—although it will still look fabulous.

4. Do You Have Grays?

Many have heard that redheads are incapable of developing gray hair as part of the aging process. While some redheads do in fact develop gray hair, it is not the norm, but this largely depends on the individual. There are countless shades of natural reds including strawberry blondes, auburns, and coopers and over time, the amount of pigmentation that hair follicles produce changes. The way that this happens also depends on a person’s genes. Most redheads find that their hair fades slowly over time from a bright red to a blonde and then straight to white, while others experience a few grays as their hair color fades and turns to white. In either case, it is believed that most red heads generally skip the gray phase, retaining their color longer than blondes and brunettes.

Born with brunette or blonde hair and want to explore what life feels like as a bold and unique redhead? Make an appointment for hair coloring in Davie at Inscape Beauty Salon today!