10 Things Every Redhead Has (Probably) Heard in Their Lifetime

10 things every redhead has (probably) heard in their lifetime

Growing up redheaded isn’t always easy; I’ve been there, done that and got the T-shirt.

When Ditch the Label compiled their Annual Bullying Survey, they found that 23% of females with ginger hair had cited their hair colour as the bullying aggressor. ‘Carrot top’, ‘freckle face’, ‘fire-head’, are just a few examples of delightful names that I have been called, and it doesn’t end there. As well as the name-calling, there’s the teasing, the interrogations and, the general gawking. Once, a man on the subway actually stroked my head without permission, because he had ‘always wanted to touch red hair’. Yes, that is a real thing that happened.

I’m sure every redhead has a long, long list of interesting, random and sometimes inappropriate things they have been asked/ told during their lifetime. Here is my top ten list of things every redhead has (probably) heard and is, (most probably) sick of hearing.

1. ‘Is that your natural hair colour?’
If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me this question, my student loan debt would be non-existent and I’d live on my own private island, in isolation, where no one could ever ask me it again.

2. ‘Do you know who you look like?!’ *Insert name of any redheaded celebrity that has ever existed on the face of this planet*.
Emma Stone, Ellie Kemper, Christina Hendricks, Bella Thorne… the list goes on and on. Also, apart from being fiery and beautiful, none of these ladies actually look like each other?!

3. ‘Do you ever count your freckles?’
You’re joking, right? That’s a joke. I’m going to let that one slide…

4. ‘Do you tan or just burn?’
Fake tan and sunscreen have been invented, so yes, I have the ability to tan. However, from experience, I suggest keeping a big old tub of aloe vera handy just in case you forget to apply the latter.

5. ‘You can’t be upset, you don’t even have a soul.’
Yawn. I usually answer this one with an eye-roll, because people that dish out these kind of comments definitely could not handle me in a ‘ginger fit’.

6. ‘Are you Irish?’
Well, no. I’m actually Italian, because that’s a thing that can happen.

7. ‘Do you know how many people would kill to have your hair colour?’
Yeah? Well I bet those people have never been called a “Daywalker”. You can dye that hair all you want, but you’ll never fully understand the feels.

8. ‘Has anyone ever kicked you on ‘Kick a Ginger Day’?’
No! And if they had, I doubt they’d live to tell the tale. (Just kidding).

9. When you forget to wear mascara and your friends ask if you are ‘tired’ or ‘ill’.
I once listened to a group of girls talk about eyelash and eyebrow treatments for like, an hour, and all I could think was, ‘Eyelashes and Eyebrows? WTF? People actually have those?’.

10. Lastly, the age-old, inappropriate classic: “Do the carpets match the drapes?”
I’m never going to tell you and guess what? You’ll never get the chance to find out.
Also, why do you think that’s an okay thing to ask someone? It’s not.