Is it just us or is red hair popping up everywhere? Call it Rise of the Readheads or Revenge of the Redheads. But red hair is definitely gaining in popularity.
They're in the news. Fiery redhead Karen Elson, wife of the White Stripes' Jack White, is the new face of St. John Knits. Classic redhead Conan O'Brien is tweeting with a bride-to-be. Alan Mulally, the strawberry blond CEO of Ford, is at the helm of an automaker that reported a 43.4% increase in February sales in the U.S.
They're in school. "I've commented to friends a few times that it seems there are more redheads on campus," says Geneva Danko, a 21-year-old senior at Kalamazoo College in Michigan who has naturally red hair and feels a fondness for others who share the trait.
And, most of all, they're in salons. Blond may still be the most popular dye color, but "red hair is definitely the accent for the season," says Patrick McIvor, artistic color director for Matrix, which sells hair color to salons. McIvor says he hasn't seen so much interest in red hair since 1999, when actress Rene Russo showed up as a redhead in "The Thomas Crown Affair."
Different Is Good
Between 2% and 6% of Americans are natural redheads, according to research by Nicole Giladi, author of the picture book "Little Redheads Across America" (Redhead Publishing, $29.99). But red hair hasn't always been so popular.
"When I was younger, when someone had red hair, you felt so bad for them," says thirtysomething Johnny Nikollaj, a stylist and colorist at 6 Salon in Royal Oak. Most natural redheads are challenged by light skin, which means they are more prone to sunburn. And according to the Journal of the American Dental Association, they are extra sensitive to pain -- they require more anesthetic than blonds or brunettes -- and, as a result, are more likely to fear trips to the dentist. But most of all, redheads are challenged by stereotypes. Redheads are often thought of as ill-tempered; sassy like comedian Kathy Griffin; stubborn like titian-haired Nancy Drew, who never let a mystery defeat her; funny or loopy like Lucille Ball; mischievous, and adventurous like gold-medal snowboarder Shaun White, who is appearing on Wheaties boxes. Red-haired women often are considered super-passionate and many -- think Ann-Margret and Julia Roberts -- become sex symbols. Men with red hair do not. "When I was a kid, I wanted to be like the Beatles, not like Opie or Howdy Doody," says William Ward, 52, of Troy, who had deep red hair before it turned gray. "There wouldn't've been a red-headed Beatle. That would've looked stupid." Redheads endure names such as carrot top, big red, ginger kid and Bozo.
Danko, the college student, grew up in a family of redheads -- her parents and four siblings all have red hair -- and doesn't recall being taunted terribly, though she does remember being called "carrot top." But it did not leave any scars, she says. "When I was in elementary school, the Spice Girls were huge," says Danko, who grew up in Grosse Pointe Park. Among the women in the group: a redhead named Geri Halliwell, who went by the name Ginger Spice. "That led me to embrace my red hair even more. It's something I've come to enjoy." The same goes for Ward, who as a kid idolized basketball star Bill Walton. "I remember saying, 'Good for him. He's a redhead." Ward ultimately decided "being different was good." Fun, Sexy and Sassy Being different also makes people stand out. "I want people to look at me as someone who's fun and adventuresome. That I'm a little bit different. That I'm out there," says Joanie Abraham, who has her brown hair dyed red on a regular basis. The 64-year-old Birmingham resident who works in online marketing says, "I do like to be noticed." And technically speaking, it's easier than ever to get noticed by going red. Red hair color has improved and doesn't fade as it once did. Plus, there are more color options. Six out of 10 of the new colors for the Matrix Dream Age brand of hair dye is made up of warm colors such as copper, orange and gold, says McIvor.
All those hues combine to make a wide range of natural-looking reds -- not the avant-garde wines and gothic eggplants that have been trendy in the past. "It seems fun," says Jennifer Palnau, a 25-year-old medical device saleswoman from Traverse City who went from blond to red last weekend. "It's not new or that different to be a blond." Plus, she says, being a redhead makes her feel more comfortable showing off the spicy and sassy side of her personality. "At the time of economic downturn, a little bit more fire, brighter fun kind of pops out," says Aaron Michael, a stylist at Cole Street Salon in Birmingham and color educator for Kemon, a brand of hair color. He figures he sees two clients a week who want red hair, compared to two or three a month a couple of years ago. "If you're feeling a little down, isn't being a hot, sexy redhead a little more inspiring?"
