Line #21 Main/HairColors


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3	[[quoteright:350:[[Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1457467887_8350.jpg]]]]
4	[[caption-width-right:350: You got your red, and orange, and yellow, and green, and blue, and indigo, and violet...]]
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6	Hair color is one of the most easily identifiable traits of an individual. The color and style of a person's hair is one of the first things the brain uses to identify who we are seeing. This is why we tend to confuse people who have similar hair styles and color. Because of this, hair color is often used in media to distinguish different characters. Over time, specific hair colors have gained associated symbolism.
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8	In Western media, blonde characters have two major symbolic associations: HairOfGoldHeartOfGold and DumbBlonde. [[BrainyBrunette Brunettes are Brainy]]. {{Fiery Redhead}}s are HotBlooded. There are some others too. TallDarkAndHandsome tend to be preferred as leading men. Some of these are rarer than others, and none are hard and fast rules. Blond and red are particularly stereotypical and common to find in media, since most humans tend to have either dark brown or black hair, so the different hair color indicates significance.
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10	Having PrematurelyGreyHaired characters is a way to show they went through stress or trauma. In anime and video games, [[WhiteHairBlackHeart white hair in a character who is too young]] can indicate that they're a villain (or at least someone to watch out for), unless it's MysticalWhiteHair, which shows that they're a magical being. For age-related greying, there is a DoubleStandard for white/grey hair. For men, it symbolizes wisdom and is more likely to be considered distinguished and sexy (SilverFox). While some women with grey hair are seen as attractive (the Silver Vixen or HotLibrarian), for female characters it's often a marker that the character is a grandmother.
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12	There are different spellings to some hair colors depending on gender. "Blonde" and "Brunette" are used to describe women, while "Blond" and "Brunet" are used to describe males. "Ravenette/Ravenet" is sometimes used to describe black hair.
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14	The increasing global nature of media is causing Western and Eastern tropes about hair colors to mix. For example, FieryRedhead was a Western trope, but it is now used in Japanese Anime. This may be because it already fits with other Eastern tropes such as RedOniBlueOni.
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16	Animation provides even more options than the typical blonde, red, and shades of brown and black. WesternAnimation has usually stuck to more natural colors, while occasionally using slight variations that work better in the medium; such as using [[PurpleIsTheNewBlack dark blue or purple to highlight black hair]], or using light blue instead of gray. Japanese [[{{Anime}} Animation]], however, has decided to use a far greater variety of hair colors than can be explained by nature. For a further discussion of Japanese media and hair colors, see UsefulNotes/HairColorInJapaneseMedia.
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18	In live-action films and TV shows, a character with unusual, bright artificially dyed hair may be [[NonconformistDyedHair showing they're a rebel]] (e.g. a [[TheQuincyPunk punk]]). For kids from middle-class homes, a pink or green dye job will [[DelinquentHair drive their parents crazy]] (the intended result).
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20	Compare CharacteristicClothingColors.
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22	----
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24	!!Tropes:
25	[[index]]
26	[[foldercontrol]]
27
28	[[folder:General]]
29	* AdaptationDyeJob: An adaptation changes a character's colors. Sometimes it's hair colors.
30	* BlondeBrunetteRedhead: Three leads: a blonde, a brunette, and a redhead.
31	* CurtainsMatchTheWindow: Hair and eyes of the same color.
32	* DelinquentHair: Punk hair, often dyed.
33	* DyeHard: Hair dye {{flanderiz\|ation}}ed.
34	* ElementalHairColors: Hair colors and ElementalPowers match.
35	* HairColorDissonance: Real-life hair vs. illustrated hair.
36	* HairColorSpoiler: A plot twist that is spoiled based on improbable hair colors commonly found in anime.
37	* HairContrastDuo: A contrasting pair of characters whose hair colors represent their opposite personalities.
38	* ImplausibleHairColor: A hair color that is unlikely (but possible) given the media's setting.
39	* KaleidoscopeHair: Someone's hair changes color repeatedly.
40	* LockedIntoStrangeness: Someone's hair starts greying because of their environment.
41	* MyHairCameOutGreen: Hair dye goes wrong.
42	* NonconformistDyedHair: Hair dye means someone is rebellious or alternative.
43	* OtherworldlyTechnicolourHair: Unusual hair colour = inhuman
44	* PeopleOfHairColor: An ethnicity defined by a single hair color.
45	* PowerDyesYourHair: Magical powers that cause a change in hair color.
46	* ShadingColourDissonance: A character's hair isn't shaded correctly in monochrome art.
47	[[/folder]]
48
49	[[folder:Blonde]]
50	* BlondeRepublicanSexKitten: A sexy blonde who is a Republican Party ([=USA=]) member.
51	* DumbBlonde: A dumb blonde person.
52	* EveryoneLovesBlondes: A blond woman is considered very attractive.
53	* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Pure and innocent blonde.
54	* LighthairedSwimmer: The "beach blond" look.
55	* PlentyOfBlondes: A cast with lots of blondes.
56	* SlashersPreferBlondes: Blondes have lower survival rates than their darker-haired peers.
57	[[/folder]]
58
59	[[folder:Brunette (brown to black)]]
60	* AloofDarkHairedGirl: A tall, pretty, aloof, composed dark-haired girl.
61	* BrainyBrunette: An intelligent, academic brunette character.
62	* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: Dark hair + pale skin = eerie and vaguely undead.
63	* EvilBrunetteTwin: Twin + dark hair = evil.
64	* LooksLikeCesare: When you add MessyHair and CreepyShadowedUndereyes onto the EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette
65	* RavenHairIvorySkin: Dark hair + pale skin = beautiful and striking.
66	* TallDarkAndHandsome: A tall, good-looking, dark-haired and dark-eyed man.
67	[[/folder]]
68
69	[[folder:Redhead]]
70	* EvilRedhead: An evil red-haired character.
71	* FieryRedhead: A redhead with a fiery personality.
72	* RedHeadedStepchild: A person bullied for their red hair.
73	* RedheadInGreen: Redheads wear lots of green.
74	* RedheadsAreRavishing: Red hair is associated with attractiveness.
75	* RedheadsAreUncool: Redhead youths are nerds, geeks, and other social outcasts.
76	* SignificantGreenEyedRedhead: There's something plot significant about a character's red hair and green eyes.
77	[[/folder]]
78
79	[[folder:Grey]]
80	* CoveringUpYourGray: An older person dyes their hair to try to cover up the fact that they're going gray.
81	* ElderlyBlueHairedLady: Older woman with bluish hair.
82	* FirstGrayHair: Character finds their first grey hair and immediately feels old.
83	* PrematurelyGreyHaired: A traumatized person too young for natural grey hair.
84	* SilverFox: An attractive older person with grey hair.
85	[[/folder]]
86
87	[[folder:White]]
88	* AlbinosAreFreaks: White hair in the real world is a symptom of albinism, a condition whereby a person is incapable of manufacturing the natural pigments that determine hair and eye colour, along with providing resistance against sunburn. People with the condition are often bullied and mistreated in various ways.
89	* DiseaseBleach: Hair that has turned white due to prolonged stress or disease.
90	* MysticalWhiteHair: White hair indicates magical powers, mysteriousness, and/or otherworldly origins.
91	* SignificantWhiteHairDarkSkin: Dark-skinned people having white hair for reasons other than old age is possible but extremely rare in real life, therefore a character with such coloration is meant to stand out.
92	* WhiteHairBlackHeart: Evil character with white hair.
93	[[/folder]]
94
95	[[folder:Unnatural hair colors]]
96	* OtherworldlyTechnicolourHair: Unusual hair colour means they're NotQuiteHuman.
97	* ReiAyanamiExpy: A (usually blue-haired) EmotionlessGirl.
98	* RoseHairedSweetie: A bright, optimistic, pink-haired girl.
99	* ShyBlueHairedGirl: A ShrinkingViolet with blue hair.
100	* WorldOfTechnicolorHair: A setting where many people have unnatural hair colors, and this is unremarkable.
101	[[/folder]]
102
103	[[/index]]

Context Main / HairColors