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Every week, we put out a call for your redhead questions. This gives you a chance to get advice or input from our team of redheads. From beauty and fashion to lifestyle, redheads are in a unique boat, and we want to help make this community a place where you can turn for all your redhead needs.
This week, we’re addressing a topic people frequently inquire about the various shades of red hair. One reader recently asked, “There are many red hair colors. Can you show them?” As redheads, we often find ourselves underrepresented compared to other hair colors. While it’s well-known that red hair is rare and distinctive, it’s essential to recognize that each redhead has their unique shade. Some have darker tones, while others have lighter hues. Red hair truly spans a broad spectrum.
While covering every unique shade of red hair is impossible, we’ll explore six of the most common categories of redhead hues. Each category represents its spectrum, but can serve as a helpful guide in identifying your specific shade of red. We recognize that every redhead has their way of describing their hair color, so let us know which category best represents your shade.
Strawberry Blonde
Possibly the most debated shade of red hair is strawberry blonde. This shade refers to those with the lightest red hair, leaning more towards blonde than brown. Some strawberry blondes may not refer to themselves as redheads, but they are. Strawberry blonde is also a typical shade for those who are maturing and starting to get more white/blonde strands mixed in with their darker red strands.
Ginger
While “ginger” is often used to describe all sorts of redheads, it is also a color category. Ginger is usually a bit darker than strawberry blonde but still on the lighter side of the spectrum. Ginger hair usually has more of an orange hue to it. It’s common for redheads to be ginger as a child and have their hair darken as they age.
Copper
One of the most coveted red hair shades is copper, which has been popular for some time now. It’s a lighter red shade with red and orange hues. Depending on the person, copper may look more red or more orange.
Classic Red
Right in the middle of the spectrum is the classic red shade. This is the shade people usually think of when they think of a redhead. It’s vibrant and a mix of red and orange. This is also a coveted shade for redheads by choice. Classic red hair gets its color from an even split of red, orange, and brown strands. Some people may think that classic reds have highlights because of all the dimensions in their hair.
Auburn
On the opposite side of the spectrum from strawberry blondes is auburn. This hair color leans more brown than blonde but has an excellent red and orange mix. Some people think of auburn as only being dark, but it can be a spectrum of tones. Auburn hair may look brown in specific lighting, but the vibrant red will appear in others. Auburn is a very flattering color for all skin tones!
Dark Red
Another red shade that has a spectrum of its own is dark red. Some of the deeper shades of dark red, like mahogany, are not naturally occurring and will only be found on redheads by choice, but we also see deeper, darker shades of red on non-white redheads.
Do you want your redhead question answered? Find us @howtobearedhead on Instagram and Facebook, and look for the Ask a Redhead question box!
Rock it like a Redhead!
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