Why Is Everyone Becoming A Redhead?

Last week, I had nothing in common with Kendall Jenner. This week, we have what appears to be the exact same hair colour. I'm a natural redhead though, and interestingly, so is Jenner's hair colourist, Jenna Perry, who's expertly skilled at manufacturing the shade and making it look real.

Born into red hair, trauma-bonded gingers, Perry and I both have a complicated relationship with the shade. We're also both familiar with the fact that of all the colours of hair dye, red is the most challenging to maintain. Still, I'm curious, within the colourist's experience, why do people want red hair? Moreover, how do they feel once they have it?

The colour of our hair such a key role in identity formation, especially for us redheads who we make up roughly 2% of the world population. "It wasn’t easy being a redhead growing up," Perry admits, which is something we relate on. "Redheads got picked on a lot." Ironically, Perry's clients, beyond Jenner includes whisper-of-red heads Maude Apatow and Zoey Deutch, go red by choice with the goal of look different from the other 98% of the world — something Perry and I once loathed. "They want something exciting," Perry explains, adding that it's a confidence thing. "They want to stand out in a crowd, because a redhead is typically the only redhead in the room."

A trend in red hair colour isn't novel, but it is picking up steam recently. Perry says red was actually happening last year and the influence is just now trickling down. "Now that a lot of A-list celebrities are going red, it's making headlines [and] becoming more popular in the mainstream," she explains. Generally, she adds, warmer hair tones — think yellows and golds and reds — are more accepted than they were five to ten years ago, back when the trend was towards cool, platinum blondes.

"With any trend, people are relating towards red right now and the people who are wearing it," adds colourist and Matrix Brand Ambassador Rachel Bodt. She recently took Euphoria actress Barbie Ferreira from black to a vibrant red and says it served as inspiration for many clients: "People are saying, 'I [can] relate, I have similar colouring.' Seeing so many redheads right now, people can visualise it." According to Bolt, there's a red tone for everyone. For example, Ferreria's red influenced TikTok creator CurvyQueenSheen to take her own brown hair red, though a different, more golden copper. If you have natural hair, you can go red without bleach, just consult your colourist on the right shade for your hair texture and complexion. They key is dimension.

It doesn't have to be a major change, either. Bolt suggests starting with a red gloss treatment, which is essentially like a shine treatment that tints your hair red. "It's no commitment, like trying it on," Bolt explains. "Though what's good about it is also bad about it: It will fade really quick, so if you change your mind you're fine to go back to your natural colour, but if you like it, you have to do something more permanent."

If you're on the fence, there's no time like the future. See if you still want red when the trend kicks a little lower. What Bolt recommends is trying a wig. "That's the best way to see if it's going to look good on you and see how it makes you feel," she says. But in her experience, most people love being a redhead. Perry agrees: "One of my favourite clients said she had never got hit on so much in her life."