Red hair has taken over the streets of Seoul. It’s not that everyone has changed to red hair, but those with perms, especially the younger and edgier, are sporting colored hair that is much redder than before.

Actually, I started noticing this about two summers ago. Since I tend to take pictures of people who are more fashion forward than others, I noticed that some of the most edgy girls I was photographing had noticeably redder hair. And this was not just what Koreans call “염색” or the dark maroon or orange color streaking popular from the late-1990s, but really, really red hair.

I mean, like Irish people living in Ireland red hair. I mean bright red, like a Japanese goldfish. Two years ago, the best example I saw was of the young lady wearing a very bright red hair wig. Just last weekend, I saw so many women walking around with the same color, there were too many to count.

One reason I actually like this trend is, unlike many trends that come and go here in Korea, this one actually looks good on Korean women, against Korean skin. I always think that mother nature is the best judge of beauty, and in this case, the trend seems to be in agreement with her. In nature, red hair always appears with very pale skin, and is this time of very little melanin. It’s common in Ireland, for example, and even among African-Americans who are albino, they often have red hair. And a lot of caucasian women in the US and Europe, especially those going for the Goth look or some such, dye their hair jet black and even get hard bangs or perm their hair straight. And it often looks quite good.Or does Dita von Teese look better as a blonde?

Source: The Daily Mail

So is the case with Koreans, who largely have pale skin and look good with this particular shade of hair. This is because it’s simply looks natural, because it is something that already appears in nature. I dislike many cosmetic trends in Korea because they go against nature, especially when it comes to plastic surgery. For example, most Koreans think that the bigger the eyes the better, because this is the message they see from the West, as translated through domestic media. But aesthetically, it is the wrong match for most Korean faces and looks quite unnatural. Simply put, a large Roman nose, round Western eyes, or silicone-enhanced lips usually do not look good on a face that was not made for them. The elements simply don’t match.

But the present trend is an interesting, if accidental, hit. It just looks good. Anyway, much better than dark maroon streaks or blond perms. I’m sure this trend will continue to go mainstream this summer and we will see many more red-headed Koreans walking the streets.

Loved the hair, ladies!

Work it, couples!

Two fashionistas from 2 years ago predict the future.

P.S. I just bought breakfast in the Shinchon McDonald’s and 3 of the 4 female workers were sporting bright red hair, almost as if it were part of the uniform. Trend — officially tipped into mainstream!