Ed Sheeran, Prince Harry, and Nicole Kidman have topped a list of the most iconic redheads – according to fellow redheads, a survey has found.
Over three-quarters (78%) of Brits sporting the brightly-coloured locks believe that celebrities, including Geri Halliwell and Mick Hucknall, have helped reduce the stigma around the colour.
It comes as nearly half (47%), of the 500 red-haired adults polled, admit they had previously been bullied over their hair, with 48% attempting to dye it.
And 75% found themselves in their younger years wishing they had any other hair colour – although 69% say they would never think of changing it now.
One in three (34%) feel that their early 20s was the time when they really learned to embrace their locks, and appreciate standing out from the blondes and brunettes.
And 71% feel their struggles in their formative years had made them stronger – with a quarter feeling they have finally found a style which compliments their distinctive look.
The research was commissioned by Roland DG, which has created the “50 Shades of Ginger” colour index – including the Sheeran, Canyon, and Sunset – to help redheads find their exact match, and to celebrate World Redhead Day on May 26.
The digital printing solution brand teamed up with TV celeb, Jenny Ryan, who said: “As a proud redhead, I’ve grown to truly love my red hair, and embrace the fact it makes me different to others.
“But I wasn't surprised to hear that wasn't the case for many – growing up with a different hair colour to most was challenging, but now I celebrate my redhead status. If anything, I’m proud of it!”
The research went on to find 54% would never describe their hair as “ginger” – as over a third (36%) of these don’t feel like the word is a good representation of their hair colour.
And 28% think it has negative connotations, while 27% associate it with bullies.
The most popular terms they actually use to define their shade are dark burgundy, strawberry blonde, and bright auburn.
But 73% did admit it can be difficult to know how to describe red hair, the research, conducted via OnePoll, found.
However, 77% now believe it is very fashionable to have red hair – and eight in ten believe it is important for younger redheads to have role models for them to look up to with a similar colour.
Lauren Swinnerton, from Roland DG, added: “Our research found that 54% of red heads would never describe their hair as “ginger”, and for years, people have struggled to truly define their hair colour – with many viewing the most common term as somewhat derogatory.
“So, we got to work to develop 50 shades, to show the full spectrum of shades that make up the vast colour gamut of redheads.
“Being a redhead goes far beyond hair colour – it’s a visual representation of individualism, expression, and beauty, and we strongly believe no one term can define the many shades of redheads, which is why we’ve created our celebratory redhead colour index.
“This rings true to the ethos we hold as a printing business – as we celebrate colour and expressiveness, and thrive on standing out from the crowd.”
MOST ICONIC REDHEADS – ACCORDING TO REDHEADS:
- Ed Sheeran
- Prince Harry
- Nicole Kidman
- Mick Hucknall
- Chris Evans
- Nicola Roberts
- Chuck Norris
- Geri Halliwell
- Sharon Osbourne
- Katharine Hepburn
