Ladies in red: daring sisters and their blazing crowns

Ebony, April, 2003 by Zondra Hughes

A growing number of Brothers have reported that some Sisters have them seeing red. And, according to them, it's definitely a good thing. No matter where you look--from the sassy Sisters in corporate America to the superstar Sisters working the red carpet, red crowns of glory are on the scene.

Celebrity stylist Tre Major of Los Angeles, whose clients include the perennial redhead Mary J. Blige, says many Sisters decided to rev up their image in a salute to the New Year.

"Red hair is always really sexy, it's daring, and it symbolizes a new start," Major explains. "It looks youthful, and many of my clients feel that the red hues give them that little pizzazz that they've been looking for."

Some Sisters even report that the redder their hair got, the hotter their love lives got.

"Redheads definitely have more fun," jibes the vivacious redhead Tanika Ray, host of the ABC Cable network's Soap Center. "You can't hide with red hair. Once you decide to go red, you have no choice but to go out there and have some fun!"

Pasadena, Calif., orthodontist Mary Guinn, who has red hair to complement her red Mercedes, agrees. Dr. Guinnn says that she's been wearing various hair colors throughout the years, but now that she's a redhead, the men--and sometimes even the women--all pause when she rides around in her sporty car.

"They can't help but look at me," she laughs. "My stylist, Neeko [also Halle Berry's stylist] dyed my hair a deep burgundy, and it's just fabuluos. When I'm riding around town the men and the women just love it. I'm the total package, and they like the total package."

The crimson craze appears to span all generations. From teenaged high school students on the East Coast to middle-aged professional women in the Deep South, red hair appears to be the beauty standard. In New York, five-time Emmy Award-winning hairstylist Marque says a 19-year-old client wanted red hair like the rapper Charli Baltimore. "I didn't want her hair to be that red, so I gave her some beautiful red streaks instead," he says. In Atlanta, Denise Hayley, a 50-year-old office manager, says she's always worn red hair, but she's spiced it up a bit for her husband.

"I've always worn red hair, now my hair is deep red with jazzy streaks," she says. "I am always stopped by people, mostly females who want my color. I tell them to try it, it's fun, and it's sexy--my husband loves it!"

Remarkably, this passion for red hair has spanned across geographical boundaries like wildfire.

The Sisters of the Windy City and the rest of Middle America are showcasing red hues in long styles, short styles, naturals, 'locs and braids at an astonishing rate--at one major Chicago corporation, seven women dyed their hair in various shades of red in just a matter of a week.

"Red is just showing up everywhere," says Miss America's stylist Leigh Jones of Leigh Jones Coiffures in Chicago. "It's a big color. The common feeling among many women used to be "better dead than red," and everyone was going for the ash blond look. But that's definitely not true anymore."

In New York, blond hair has apparently taken a back seat to flaming red colors and highlights for many Sisters, says hairstylist Marque. He says performers like Eve and Faith Evans have created a red-hair frenzy, and he adds that Black women wear red highlights better than any blond hue.

"I'm really into doing highlights in red because the red shades go better with various African-American skin tones as opposed to just using blonde," he explains. "Red looks more subtle, and highlights and lowlights really make the color look more natural."

The Southern Sisters in Atlanta and surrounding areas surely aren't half-stepping with their red locks, according to Atlanta-area stylist Sammy Featherstone, of Featherstone Hair Designs.

"Red was one of the big colors that came from Europe last year at the various hair shows, and now it's really popular in the ethnic community," Featherstone explains. "We have auburns, red auburns, penny auburns, and then the really flaming reds which are more prevalent in the high school and college-age groups."

Fellow Atlanta stylist, Attallah Vaughn of the Intown Studio, also has noticed the surge in redheads and red-head wannabes among her clientele, which includes the colorful crooners of Dru Hill.

"Black women are really into hair care now, and if you bleach the hair too light, it tends to break the hair off," Vaughn says. "But if you stick with the red family, your hair will be healthier."

Achieving and maintaining healthy hair, no matter the hue you choose, is of the utmost importance, many hair care professionals says. Atlanta stylist Featherstone says that it' you're inclined to join the growing number of redheads, the first thing you should do is to conduct a patch test to make certain that you are not allergic to the dye.

"To do a 24-hour patch test, apply a little color behind your ear or on the inner fold of your arm and leave it on for 24 hours," he says. "If there is a rash or swelling around the eyes, then you are allergic to it."