Sunday, April 18, 2021

REDHEADS AGING -- NESTLINGS -- EARTH DAY

REDHEAD AGING NATURALLY UPDATE

Periodically as a redhead I have shared my philosophy here endorsing aging naturally.  This is only my experience and point of view that may not be shared by all redheads.  What aging naturally means to me is that I avoid most concoctions said to create an eternal youthful appearance, substances that temporarily disguise actual aging facial effects, cosmetic surgical procedures, most so-called beauty products, coloring my hair.  

Most specifically I've been especially interested in what naturally happens to my hair color as I age.  I have a curl my mother saved from a haircut when I was very young preschool age.  My naturally curly red hair was a very definite but light red color.  My hair became slightly but more intensely red as I grew older into my teens, twenties and thirties.  I was always quite proud of the golden red shade of my hair, a perspective that was repeatedly reinforced by the many compliments I received from others, sometimes perfect strangers.

Entering my fourth decade I again styled my hair in a short cut.  When cut off I did retain the pony tail of hair  I had grown the previous less-than-ten-years during the time after we moved.  During that time when I had stopped working I unexpectedly became pregnant.  My hair color had slightly darkened but unquestionably still would be seen as red by everyone.

My older brother had red hair, too, though neither of our parents did.   My father's hair may have had a reddish glint in certain light, but he would not have been considered a redhead.  I don't recall seeing any other redheaded relatives on either side of my family including grandparents.  Both of my brother's children had red hair as their mother also had sufficient red hair in her darker locks to be considered somewhat of a redhead.  This is interesting only as confirmation of what genetics has learned about who acquires red hair.

By the time I was in my thirties I was married with two children when the decade ended.  My red hair which had always quickly became oily requiring frequent shampooing became less so.  We had moved to a dry climate from one where humidity was more prevalent.  Also, I had birthed two children during those years with expected hormonal changes..  I've always wondered how much either or both of those factors contributed to my hair changes, or was this simply the aging process?

My blond-haired older husband had very little hair left when I met him years earlier, but he had a red beard when allowed to grow.  Our oldest child had red hair a different shade from my own.  The younger child was a blond who also grew a red beard when he became older.  My daughter's child is not a redhead since her father's dark hair color has dominated.  My son's son is what has been characterized as a strawberry blond much like his mother's hair color.

When my fourth decade ended my red hair had become darker and I noticed what I have described as a few silver threads among the gold.  These years for me had become distressful, harried ones with many life pressures.  I have speculated this contributed or maybe even caused what I considered to be why silver/grey hairs invaded my coiffure, but maybe that was just all part of the aging process, too.

The next decade or two my life stressors altered and some new ones emerged.  My red hair color continued to darken but also gained an increasing number of silver threads.  Eventually, I could no longer best describe my red hair as having silver threads among the gold.  Now, I described my red hair as having a few gold threads among the silver.

The darkened red of my hair began to take on a brown color during my seventh decade to a degree that most people no longer perceived me as being a redhead.  Some even expressed skeptical surprise when I told them I was a natural redhead.  The silver threads continued to appear in greater numbers as I also began losing more hair with every shampoo and brushing.  Quite possibly hormonal changes may have been an issue for the continuing hair loss but that has been an unresolved matter.

Now in my eighth decade as I've allowed my thinning hair to grow from my longtime shorter hair style ever since I retired from work at age 79,  the dominant silver threads are quite obviously white.  Six inches or so of the darkened brownish red hair exist only in the curls of my lock's ends.  I find less hair in my brush each time I use it and hope that my once very thick hair thins little more.  Never had I anticipated hair loss would become an issue for me given the thick locks I'd always had.

Reports of genetic studies explanations of how red hair develops in less than 2% of the world population appear to be confirmed by the development of red hair in my family, except I can't verify a history of red hair in either maternal or paternal grandparents.  There must have been some recessive genes there that didn't manifest themselves in those person's actual hair color, or maybe some had red hair when they were young and I never knew.

I'm always interested in what scientific studies reveal about redheads.  One such conclusion has centered on finding the level of pain tolerance higher for red heads.  I had thought my pain tolerance was high before I ever knew about the studies.   Should a redheaded woman ever need to have anesthesia, I think knowing redheads possible heightened pain tolerance is important for doctors to be aware of when considering the amount of medication to be administered.

Redheads have also been said to have volatile tempers.  I have never believed that for me and still don't based on my emotional life all these years.

Genetic studies also reportedly concluded redheads never get grey hair, that the hair only becomes white with aging.  My hair is becoming white now but my experience when my hair first began losing it red color did go through a grey-appearing transition before reaching this white state.  My hairdresser spoke of my having grey hairs during those early years.

I haven't attempted to describe all that is being learned genetically and otherwise about redheads but am always interested in new research findings.

HUMMINGBIRD NESTLINGS UPDATE

Those two baby hummingbirds mentioned in earlier posts continuing to grow at an amazing rate will likely fledge 'ere long.    Moderator on that site reports to watch for fledgling behavior beginning this coming week Tuesday the 20th.  

I've been intrigued by a couple matters I've observed on occasional visits via the live stream.   One, is noticing the rapid growth of the beak each day from barely present visually at hatching to increasing length, compared to what is needed to feed as an adult  The other surprising matter to me was that the hummingbird nest is stretchable.  I could actually see the nest being expanded as the mother and at other times the nestlings pressed against the sides enlarging the space as they became larger.  

EARTH DAY this week -- Thursday the 22nd !


25 comments:

  1. Naturally, we do not have redheads in India so your post for me is very educative. I am stumped that it turns grey on the way to becoming white!

    Being a male, I went from black hair to grey to no hair on top except for a friar's fringe which is entirely grey. My beard is salt and pepper but full.

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    1. Apparently India does not have redheads when i Googled that question EXCEPT for this young woman born in Mumbai to Indian parents written about in 2017. As a “ginger” she suffered discrimination because of her red hair.
      https://www.storytrender.com/35582/woman-24-born-red-hair-white-skin-freckles-indian-parents-shunned-people-think-shes-diseased/

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  2. My grandmother was the only redhead in our family and when it changed, it became quite a lovely white. I was born with a few sprigs of red hair but when I lost them, they were gone for good.
    Know how you feel about thinning hair. I use to have annoyingly thick hair and now it is way too thin for comfort.

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    1. Sounds like we’re in the same thinning hair boat. Aging?

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  3. I read an article not too long ago that hypothesized the not too distant extinction of not only natural redheads, but blue-eyed babies as well. The genotypes for both are becoming so diluted or recessive that they will cease to exist.

    Imagine!

    As to aging, I've never given a thought to colouring my hair as the silver creeps in. The maintenance alone doesn't appeal to me, and I feel it looks so unnatural.

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    1. Redheads are not going to become extinct contrary to that story that was put out. The research that prompted that tale was subsequently discounted when it was found the research study was sponsored by Proctor and Gamble who were in the business of selling their hair dye products.

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    2. I should add there may be some disagreement with geneticists about redheads and blue eyes inevitable extinction but the numbers of such people are expected to significantly decrease.

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  4. How did they ever come up with the notion that redheads have volatile tempers anyway?
    I've never colored my hair for just one reason. I'm lazy.

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    1. I've never researched that question, Kay, but maybe it has something to do with red being fire-like in appearance so must be volatile.

      Your reason for not coloring your hair is as good as any.
      Hair coloring to me is a needless waste of time, effort and money along with some other reasons I could give you.

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  5. As a child, my hair was blonde, then became dishwater blonde and finally brown, which meant I could do with it what I pleased. In my late 20s, I used a thing that supposed made the hair look sunlit. I got bored with that, let it grow off enough to cut it short was surprised how dark it was naturally although both my parents had black hair. I played with hair color off and on (always home) and finally gave up and let it grow out gray, which is where it is today and probably will stay-- though once in a while I toy with the idea of turning it blonde lol

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    1. I think its interesting to see what happens to our hair as we age. Sounds as though you’ve enjoyed monitored yours — grey can be very attractive and distinguished looking.

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  6. This is really interesting.

    I am blond, the Scandinavian type, with a few grey/gold patches but still waiting on turning grey and I married into an Irish family with some red hair - BTW it is a total cliche to think that Irish people are red heads, only a small percentage are - but mostly thick brunette hair and deeply tanning skin colour, however with a tendency for early greying.
    My husband turned grey before his 40th birthday and there are those who blame me and the way I treat him for this . . . totally unfounded of course.

    Our daughter has inherited all of it, starting out as a blonde toddler, a reddish teenager, a young brunette woman and now in her late 30s she is busily dying her grey roots.

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    1. Interesting to learn you have early greying, especially your daughter. My husband’s ancestors mostly German, mine are mostly English possibly French.

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  7. As most bloggers know and practice, comments we receive from others unknown to us that have nothing to do with that post’s topic plus include promoting others with contact links inserted are not published. So, a recent comment submitted here is not published.

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  8. Like Rain, I started out with very light blonde hair, and it has gotten darker over the years. I don’t feel like dark hair suits my complexion well, I prefer the blonde, so I color it. At some point I will let it go white, but I plan to wait awhile, until it is light enough so that I don’t have much dark left. My mom was a redhead, and as she aged it did get darker, but always at least had a hint of red in it. I do remember some people thinking her a brunette, esp indoors. Then she went grey, and eventually white. My Grandma had black hair, but there must have been some red in there somewhere, right?

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    1. Genetics studies do indicate there must have been some recessive genes from your Mother's parents that resulted in her having red hair as I understand how the system works.

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    2. I love red hair, I don't understand why some people are so averse to it. Oddly enough, both Jenny (64) and myself (74) haven't yet gone grey, although my father went grey in his fifties.

      Like you, Jenny avoids any product that's described as anti-wrinkle, anti-ageing or making you look younger. She's quite happy to age naturally.

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    3. I guess, Nick, your and Jenny’s hair experience not going grey confirms how we all age differently. I wonder if there are people whose hair actually never goes grey? I think so much money is wasted on so-called anti-aging, youth preserving products by many, especially women though those in the business are trying to draw men into doing so, too.

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  9. There is no way that I could write about my boring hair like you have. I remember one girl in high school with red hair and, although she passed away in her 50's her hair never changed. My brownish hair changed to gray in the late 6o's and now, at age 88, it is thinning and still a dull shade of gray. I'm just happy that my life never followed as dull as my hair !

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    1. Maybe your hair hasn't been perceived by others to be as dull as you think. I’ve seen lots of attractive heads of browns and black hair, also so when greying.

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  10. I find your genetic study fascinating due to having birthed a natural blonde who is now 54 and still blonde with no assist. A recessive gene that she studied in her time. Interestingly, she married a "black Irish" - i.e. the raven hair with sapphire blue eyes and their daughter is a natural blonde with his blue eyes. Very unexpected as the blonde gene is so recessive.

    My hair still has loads of brown/auburn/ mix my face framed in white/grey. I wear it long, halfway down my back but it's the devil to maintain so I am thinking of having it cut.

    XO
    WWW

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    1. That’s intriguing that your daughter’s blond hair has remained so this many years. Likewise her daughter having blond hair though she had a usually more dominant dark-haired father intrigues, also. Shows there may not always be absolutes in those genetic studies i guess — exceptions everywhere.

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  11. A fascinating discourse on red hair. The things we didn't know! I have not personally known many redheads in my life, but one of my very early girlfriends was a redhead. It is probably unreasonably stereotypical that redheads are reputed to have fiery tempers to match, but this girl was the exact opposite, as kind and gentle as could be. We were both young and the romance lasted only for a few weeks. I wonder if she still remembers? Somehow, I hope so!

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    1. Redheads emotional dispositions are just as varied as those of most with other hair color, so all not likely to be kind and gentle as you describe your friend either. 🙂

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  12. 37th Dream/Rumores de paz https://www.talking37thdream.com.37thdream.com/

    Blogger's comment received in email with permission to reprint here:

    "I was thought of as a redhead from my early teenage years until I was in my 30s and was intrigued by your post.

    Although my hair was straight and dark brown when I was born, it became blond and then light brown before turning decidedly thick, wavy and reddish when I was a teenager but began turning grey when I was 21 years old. By the time I was in my late 30s, the mother of a high school friend of mine said to me, "Where is your red hair?" Now that I am almost 72 years old, it is almost completely white.

    My mother was a brown-eyed redhead with wavy hair. When she died at age 78, her hair was still red but a light red, with very little grey. Her brother was a blue-eyed redhead whose hair remained red throughout his life turning to a light red with very little grey. Their mother was a brown-eyed redhead who died when she was 49. No photos of her in color. My youngest sister is a brown-eyed redhead with very very curly hair that has grown lighter with very little sign of greying. Both of my 1st cousins once removed on my mother's side are redheads. My father is said to have had reddish hair as a young man and along with his siblings had early greying of his hair but his hair never turned as white as mine. He lived until he was 89. I can't think of anyone on his side with red hair. His side was almost completely Norwegian but there was one ancestor on his mother's side who was German and English. My mother's mother's side was English and Irish. Her father's side was German.

    I have no children and only one nephew. My nephew's father was half Filipino. His only son's mother is Mexican, Filipino, Swedish and Askenazi Jewish. I wonder when the red hair will appear again. I'm sure it will!

    My hair, too, went from very thick and wavy to straight and thinning in the last 10 years."

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