To love my ginger hair?

[SleepForTheWeek]

All through school I was mocked for my hair colour, I hated it and prayed that if I had children they wouldn't be ginger. I dyed it blonde/brown/bright red when I was old enough (not at same time!)

It wasn't until I was an adult and working in an industry that involved people from other countries that I started getting compliments about my natural colour, I've not dyed it for a few years now and love it! It's not JUST 'ginger', it's reds/blonds/browns/golds all intertwined.

Even now I hear people say 'I hope my baby is not ginger' and I've even had a 'friend' tell me they'd drown their baby if it was ginger (in apparent jest). It's not OK to say that about skin colour/disabilities/sexual orientation, so why is it socially acceptable to say it about children with red hair???

Anyway, no point to this except to say

EMBRACE YOUR GINGER HAIR!

The bullying in school can be server. And from strangers in the street (adults).

It's not uniquely British to find anti-ginger comments acceptable. It occurs to the same extent in Ireland.

A friend of mine had the midwife say 'good news. He's not ginger'.

It can be hard to like it when you've had a life time of negativity.

Love love love ginger hair. Yanbu it's my favourite hair colour.

I am a naturally black haired, olive skinned woman but DP is a gorgeous pale skinned, blue eyed redhead with pale eyelashes and freckles. He has grown his hair out in the last couple of years as well and it is a very good look. I absolutely love it, and him, and am hoping we have children who look just like him.

Red/ginger hair is beautiful and I think most people who denigrate it are just jealous. The features that go with red/ginger hair are lovely as well, I love that we live in a world where people come in such a kaleidoscope of colours, shapes and sizes.

I did break that into paragraphs as well...damn phone.

@Red2017 that is stunning hair!

Is ginger hair not becoming more coveted and popular now though? I'm not naturally ginger so have never experienced the whole 'school bullying' thing and I'm in no way disputing it but is it still as bad as it used to be?

For redhead males then I agree things haven't really changed but for girls it seems like the tide has changed and everyone wants ginger hair now. Or is that just ignorance on my part?

My eldest ds has beautiful copper coloured hair, I love it.

Smells like a wet dog if he doesn't wash it properly though 😂

I lol be ginger/red/auburn hair. We have some red heads in the family and I was hoping my DS would have it too- sadly it’s turned out light brown -but he likes girls with red hair (so there’s hope for the grandkids😂)

Since red hair is associated with the Celtic fringes of the UK the hatred of red hair is probably due to the historic racism against the Scots and Irish in England.

I'm Scottish and have blue eyes, fair skin and freckles but missed out on the proper red hair and just have that 'dark strawberry blond' that gets called every colour under the sun. I've been called blond, mousy, red, fair, and brown. People have had actual arguements about my hair colour! But at nearly 50 I've got no grey hair to speak.

We get compliments about our DD's red hair a lot. There is also a large Chinese community where we live (not in the UK), many of whom are fascinated with it and we have had quite a few incidences where complete strangers have approached her buggy, taken photos of her and left. It actually happened today while we were on the beach - and the lady asked to stroke it It's a little strange of course but nice that the attention is so positive here - none of the "ginger bashing" I saw so much of growing up in the UK.

Christmas
Is your hair not auburn rather than ginger.?

Fuck me, that all took a turn for the worse.

I would class it more of an auburn than a ginger. Very pretty though.

Funny how hair colour can be such a big talking point. My daughter has white hair. Naturally really white. I have complete strangers insist I have dyed (actually arguing with me haha) she's not even three

My DD has red hair. It's beautiful.
She's had mostly very positive comments, but her hair has attracted a lot more attention than if she had brown or blond hair.
Funnily enough the only teasing she's had about it was from a boy in her class, which stopped pretty quickly as the teacher pointed out that his hair was also on the ginger spectrum

For people saying 'everyone wants ginger hair' you're wrong. Lets be honest alot of women pay hundreds and thousands of pounds to dye their hair blonde. You can admire red hair but it does not necessarily mean you want red hair

DD has bright ginger hair and has received so much negative attention. I love it though and pray that she won't ever feel the need to dye it.

@Whatislife123 I just noticed that henna seems to becoming more popular and a lot of hair dyes you see on the shelves now are aimed achieving 'ginger' or natural red shades as opposed to the traditional red dyes so I assumed there was a shift towards red hair (on women at least) being a more sought after colour. Could be wrong though

I admire red hair just because it is rare but I would not want red hair like most people i know. I live in the UK and most women are desperate to be blonde. Even if they ruin their hair in the process. Also I hardly come across people that have dyed their hair red because most people do not want red hair.

I must be an exception to the rule then. I'm naturally platinum blonde like my daughter but I henna my hair ginger

Most people in UK want tanned skin and blonde or brunette hair. this does not mean that they despise red hair, just that they do not want red hair.

Iamlucy. You must be an exception to the rule and good for you. But the evidence is there. Most women in UK dye their hair blonde and willing to part with alot of money to maintain it. I think it is bizarre how these women assume being blonde makes you automatically more attractive even when their hair resembles straw

If it's to do with hatred of Irish and Scottish how do you explain the bullying in Ireland and Scotland?

Whoever asked. I've a family member who is also ginger. Just left school. Relentlessly bullied in school; with comments made on the streets by adults. (This is in Ireland - though I've my doubts it's better in Britain.)

My son was swearing down on fb that he was born blonde.
Had me killing myself with laughter...he was ginger. Dark ginger...titian.
He still wouldn’t have it..till I reminded him that I was there 😂
He sports a ginger beard ffs!
We have Irish ancestry. My gran was auburn haired, her daughter my aunt, my hair had red tones in it and my daughter too.

It’s blooming ridiculous.
It’s hair...celebrate it!

@Whatislife123 I always think hair looks lovely if it's good condition irrespective of the colour. Straw hair is not a good look on anyone

Iamlucy. Ofcourse hair condition is the most important thing but i do find women who repeatedly dye their hair blonde have awful hair condition but they are willing to have awful hair as they want to be a blonde. And nothing wrong with that