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Parenting

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Original poster

Will my 10-month-old dd's hair stay red?

21 replies

PollyParanoia · 16/08/2007 14:36

hello, dd was born with dark hair that went progressively redder and is now a very vibrant shade. I think it's gorgeous, especially since I have mousey blah coloured hair. However there's no redheads on either side and I'm wondering whether it's safe to say it's going to stay or whether it's a phase baby's hair goes through a bit like eye colour (they're still a bit of unknown quantity too). It's quite thick and has already had to be cut a couple of times.
Hmmm, aren't genes grand?
Pol
ps it's been an interesting introduction into the world of anti-ginger prejudice though - people are always calling it "titian", "auburn" and "well at least it's not ginger". Oh and a lot of "it's alright for a girl". Why is ok to dye your hair red but not to have it naturally?

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Notyummy · 16/08/2007 14:40

hi pp

my dd is actually the same...was born with very dark hair and has progressively lighter until she is light auburn. I have red hair and neither of my parents do (was in the family tho...grandad and aunty!)and I have def stayed red. She may get teased as a child but I have grown up to LOVE my hair, and lots of people now say how lovely both her hair and my hair is.

Idobelieveinfairies · 16/08/2007 14:46

I was hoping some of mine might have red hair. My nan was very red-lots of freckles, dp has a ginger beard when he hasn't shaved for a few days!..lol

But most of mine are blonde. DS4 is 'strawberry blonde' when it grows a bit longer but as soon as its cut its blonde again.

I am hoping my youngest DD MAY have a bit of red in hers..in some lights i can see red..am hoping it develops! Red would be gorgeous!

Genes are facinating aren't they!

Original poster

PollyParanoia · 16/08/2007 19:43

This is deep red, really looks like I think it's acceptable to henna my baby's hair. I'm glad you both share my enthusiasm for it and I'm glad that Notyummy loves her hair now. Fingers crossed it stays especially since her eyes are going to be dark I think which is lovely combo.

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maveta · 16/08/2007 19:48

it sounds beautiful! Can´t help on whether it will stay that shade or not but just wanted to chip in.. my ds (4mo) has blondey/mousey hair but a real ginge tinge in the sun lol No idea what colour he´ll end up with.. it will be gorgeous no doubt . FWIW my dh (spanish) was hoping and praying for red hair, he thinks it´s beautiful and can´t for the life of him understand why english people talk so negatively about it

PatsyCline · 16/08/2007 19:49

My friend's daughter has that exact colouring (dark red hair and brown eyes). Your DD is so lucky as it's a gorgeous combo.

I can't understand the prejudice against red hair - a colleague of mine had red hair down to her waist and when it caught the light it was just beautiful.

Sadly, I am very boring brunette!

Patsy x

lilymolly · 16/08/2007 19:55

my dd hair was red last year but know she is 19 months and has loads of blonde coming through

aloha · 16/08/2007 19:57

I am sure it will stay red. My stepdaughter has beautiful red hair and has always been delighted with and proud of it, and has never suffered any nasty teasing or anything.

mummymagic · 16/08/2007 19:59

I had dark red hair as a baby that went strawberry blonde as an older child/teen (by this I mean blonde but with red bits in the sun). Now a very boring mousey dark blonde. I miss my beautiful hair - understand now why my mum cried when I dyed it all sort of funny colours aged 15.

My dd has that very very light blonde hair. I think red hair is gorgeous.

HairyToe · 16/08/2007 20:21

You're right about general anti-ginger feeling though. Dh has ginger hair and when I was pregnant for the first time certain 'friends' went on for ages about whether the baby would be ginger or 'maybe I'd be lucky and they wouldn't'!!!
As it turned out DD1 has got red hair and is beautiful (obviously ). Still we were at a baby group once and after mentioning her hair a woman ranted on to everyone about how much she hated ginger men, going into detail about underarm hair (and worse).
Did she not stop to think about where DD1's colouring might come from. When I said actually Dh is a ginger she just turned her nose up! How rude. As I said at the time how acceptable would it be to launch forth with a similar set of opinions about someone being black? Not at all.

Spidermama · 16/08/2007 20:25

IME hair can go on changing colour right up until they're about ten or even later. My dh was a blondy up until about ten and so was my brother. They're both dark, dark brown now.

WendyWeber · 16/08/2007 20:27

DD2 was born dark and went reddish - not vibrant! At 12 months she was distinctly red, but that was April; by the end of the summer she was a blondie and the red never returned

Rhubarb · 16/08/2007 20:28

Hey WW! I wanted to call you today but can't find my address book!

feetheart · 16/08/2007 20:34

My brother and sister (twins) are both redheads. I still feel I missed out as mine is distinctly brown. It does seem to be getting a little redder as I age (though that might be the grey!!). Sadly none of the 8 children we have produced between us have inherited the red hair

motherinferior · 16/08/2007 20:37

Mine did.

I have had a fair selection of admirers in my time

Idobelieveinfairies · 16/08/2007 20:38

feetheart-did you have twins instead????

Botbot · 16/08/2007 20:52

I'm hoping the same thing. My dd's (13 months) hair is light red - not proper flaming red, but much redder than strawberry blonde. I love it because it's unusual and it's beautiful. DP was that colour too (before his hair started going grey and falling out ) so I'm hoping it sticks around for DD. I want her to be able to identify with Anne of Green Gables when she's old enough to read it!

I love ginger men, me.

Panyanpickle77 · 16/08/2007 20:55

both dd (5) and ds (2) were born with lovely ginger hair. Both now have golden blonde hair, which I find really odd, as I have boring brown hair, as does dh

Original poster

PollyParanoia · 17/08/2007 18:12

Ah so it seems from other's experiences that babies with red hair can end up with mousey brown via strawberry blonde. Oh well, we'll just have to wait and see.
Interestingly, UK has the highest percentage of redheads and redhead gene carriers and yet the strongest anti-ginger prejudice. What sort of self-hatred is that? I bet Swedes don't slag off blondes so why don't we celebrate ginger and red heads?
Even if my dd's hair change, I shall remain a stalwart of the ginger-defence league (not that there's anything wrong with mouse either...)

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blueplanetarium · 17/08/2007 20:46

My little man was born with light red hair and at 26 months it is still red, albeit with streaks of blonde running through, looks like he's had highlights at the hairdressers! DH and I were quite shocked as I have V dk Brown hair verging on black, as do the rest of my family and DH was white blonde as a child and is now mousey. DD is blone/light brown... Turns out DH's dad's aunt had red hair, so I guess that's where it's come from. To be honest I was never keen on red hair before having ds, now I love it. Especially as he has gorgeous green eyes to go with it, and he looks fab in browns, khaki's, rust and autumnal colored clothes. People are always saying how beautiful his hair is and some have even called him a girl...hmmmm! Genes are funny things!

bookthief · 17/08/2007 20:53

My understanding is that both parents have to be a carrier of the red haired gene for a baby to have red hair so it's perfectly feasible for neither parents to be red themselves but both be carriers.

I've got red hair and am the first on both sides as far back as anyone can remember although I've seen a tinted photo of one of my great-great grandfathers and he has red hair (or faded brown!). Ds has his father's colouring and if dh doesn't carry the gene then it'll be no redheads for us which I'd be a little sad about - ds could be a carrier though and I might get red haired grandchildren (I'm thinking a bit far ahead now amn't I..)

I think I read that around 30% of the Scottish population carry the gene which is why it's so common here.

bookthief · 17/08/2007 20:58

Explaination of the genetics by the guy at Edinburgh University who identified the red hair gene.

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