My Freckles are NOT Imperfections! They are Unique & Beautiful #Ginger

It has been a while since I wrote a post about being a redhead. For the most part day to day life is not worth writing about. I have had a few cute moments and a few rants, but nothing worth posting. Until now!

You may have seen some buzz online about a recent ad a dating site (Match.com) had up in the subway in London about ‘imperfections’ and not worrying because someone will like them. Well the ad has a beautiful redhead with a face full of freckles close up on it. Obviously this caused a big issue for many and the ads were removed.

As a redhead who took many years to embrace my unique Ginger qualities, I wanted to share this with you all. We are constantly being told how we are different. We as in every single person growing up. You are tall, you are short, you are so skinny, you have so many freckles etc. It is not until we get the strength to stand up and speak up that we actually embrace these differences.

As redheads we see movies making us the joke or the target of a bully. We hear hurtful names like carrot top and redheaded step child and have days where entire schools promise to kick any Ginger they see. We try hard as adults to educate others and share our stories and embrace our qualities. Like any other ‘difference’ we want our children to not feel isolated and alone. THEN something like this gets out and we all are back to the beginning.

Who wants to be like everyone else anyway?

My kids all have freckles, the blonde, the brunette and the redheads. A few on their nose and on their cheeks. My one son has a lot just like me on his face, shoulders and arms. The summer months bring them out more and we often hide in the shade to avoid burning. But they are still there and we love them! If my youngest daughter saw this ad and read it, I know there would have been a lot of questions. I am always open to having conversations with my children, however this one would have made me sad. Why would anyone say these are imperfections? Was there not one single person with freckles looking at this ad while it was being aproved?

Here is the ad

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There are really just so many things wrong with this ad. Wrong from a woman’s perspective and wrong from a mothers side. Why do you need someone else to like what you do not? Why would you NOT like your freckles? Who is to say what is perfect anyway? Grrr! Is the red hair the imperfection? The brown eyes? I really just hate this ad so much!

If you don’t like your imperfections, someone else will.

A face without freckles is like a night without stars! 

We need to teach our children to love themselves for who they are and not change for anyone.

Growing up I hated that I was the only redhead in my class. the only one in my family, in my school and most likely in my neighbourhood. It was not until I was a teenager that I realized how lucky I was to be so unique and different from everyone else. Now I have people talking to me out of no where because of my hair. Complete strangers complimenting me daily about the colour of my hair. An elderly man even asked me for help in the grocery store the other day and said “You know I asked you because we are both redheads, right?”

If your child has freckles and red hair make sure they know they are very unique and to embrace it. Not change for anyone and never to let others thoughts or words get to them. No matter what characteristic you have that you feel is different from others, that is what makes you YOU! That is what makes you unique. Being unique is good 🙂

What do you think of this ad?

Comments

  1. My youngest has red hair and freckles.If she spends more than 5 minutes in the sun she gets severe burns.

  2. Our family have a lot of freckles. We actually don’t have anybody in our family that are ginger but we have freckles nonetheless. I wish that they looked cute.

  3. I think freckles look really pretty on a person. They give you character in originality. In this day and time originality is very important.

  4. My oldest son has freckles. Not very many and not very dark and I just love them. They are gorgeous and i’ve never seen freckles on someone look bad!

  5. I have freckles everywhere but I am hoping one day the will all connect and I will have a beautiful tan. Ahhh…I will be dreaming for some time to come on that one! I think they give character to someone. I love being freckled.

  6. shaunatorres says

    I don’t get that ad at all… I love my freckles, though I don’t have many. My dad used to have some down one side of his body only, it was so cool

  7. Yeah the ad was bothersome. I see where they were going with it, but poor poor execution.
    Lee

  8. I love this post! I’m a natural redhead and I have many freckles. I’m very proud of my redhair and freckles. I’ve always been complimented on both throughout the years. I think everyone needs to embrace them!

  9. Hmmm…I don’t think that ad was very well thought out. I think freckles are really interesting myself. I used to actually want them when I was little. 😉

  10. My daughter had freckles, and we call them sprinkles. I love her sprinkles and tell her I get so jealous of everyone else having sprinkles. They are gorgeous.

  11. I have mixed feelings about this ad. I wish it was encouraging self love first and foremost.

  12. This ad was interesting because it is offensive to a significant portion of the country. It reminds me of ads that are racially offensive and the conversations that take place as a result of those ads.

  13. I wish their ad didn’t have a picture and used the word insecurity instead of imperfection. The message could have made a big point in a very different way! Have you read the book Freckle Faced Strawberry? It is a favorite at our house. Freckles are beautiful and I have always wished that I had them!

  14. I like this. I agree with that post.

  15. I’ve always thought freckles were wonderful! They’re definitely not imperfections, and I resent that the ad is implying it.

  16. i have always had freckles. i used to get teased as a child because i was the only dark skinned girl in my class with freckles lol.

  17. When i was younger i used to try everything i could to get rid of my freckles. I used to hate them. Now that i am older i love them. They give my face a little extra personality.

  18. Lisa Bristol says

    I have so many freckles and sun spots on my face now that i am older. I should have used a lot more sunscreen when i was younger. I just look at them as part of me now.

  19. My niece is a natural redhead and has many freckles and shes beautiful and so are you and everyone else,honestly we are all different and we are all beautiful.

  20. I agree with you that red heads and freckles are really unique and when they realize that for themselves they glow with beauty from the inside out. This was a great feature to read and so nicely put. I,myself am not a red head but I do love and admire them.

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