Redheads always stand out in a crowd due to their unique hair color. In addition to the eye-catching hair color, there are several characteristics that make them biologically unique compared to blondes or brunettes. Scientists claim that they have genetically engineered superpowers, such as a high resistance to pain, but they are also very vulnerable to certain diseases, such as skin cancer, due to a mutation in their genes. Here are some more interesting facts regarding redheads.
1 Red hair results from a mutation in a gene called MC1R.
Red hair is a genetic mutation that causes skin and hair cells to produce one specific type of melanin. Even if parents carrying the MC1R mutation do not have red hair, there is a 25% chance that their offspring will be red.
2 Scotland has the highest concentration of redheads at 13%.
The concentration of redheads in Scotland is higher than in any other region. It is followed by Ireland (10%). Worldwide, only 2% of people have red hair. Over 650,000 people in Scotland have redheads.
3 Only 0.17% of the world’s population has a combination of red hair and blue eyes.
Red hair and blue eyes are one of the rarest combinations. Most redheads have black, green or brown eyes. Red hair and blue eyes are recessive traits and a person can only inherit this combination if both parents have the trait.
4 Redheads are more likely to be left-handed.
Given the limited number of studies conducted on this topic among redheads, scientists have concluded that the likelihood of being left-handed in redheads is higher than normal. Like red hair and blue eyes, left-handedness is also the result of a recessive gene. Only 10-12 percent of people are left-handed.
5 Redheads can make their own vitamin D.
Redheads require very little sun exposure to produce enough vitamin D. They are able to produce enough vitamin D in a shorter amount of time than other people. Their pale skin synthesizes D efficiently. Due to this feature, they have excellent bone health.
6 Redheads are harder to put to sleep, but they have different pain tolerance.
Red-haired people are more sensitive to pain and less sensitive to local anesthesia used by dentists. They require 20% more anesthesia to be sedated than the dosage for other hair colors. The MC1R gene they possess belongs to the family of pain receptors, and the type of mutation in redheads affects their sensitivity to pain. Redheads are resistant to local anesthesia, so it is difficult for them to visit dentists who do not know regarding it and give the usual dose of anesthesia.
7 Red hair rarely turns gray.
The pigment of red hair is stronger than other shades, so redheads rarely go gray. Their hair goes through several spectrums of colors before going from pink and white to pure white. The pigments eumelanin and pheomelanin determine the color of your hair. The redder the hair, the more pheomelanin. Depending on this, the shade of the hair follicle changes, which leads to the fact that redheads become blond, not gray.
8 Redheads actually have less hair than most other people.
On average, redheads have only 90,000 strands of hair, while blondes, for example, have 140,000. However, red hair is usually thicker, so it looks just as voluminous. Usually, if you have only 90,000 hair follicles, hair loss will be very noticeable. But red hair is so thick and looks more voluminous that fewer follicles don’t affect the overall look.
9 Redheads are more sensitive to hot and cold temperatures than others.
In 2005, the University of Louisville studied redheads and discovered this hidden gift, and hypothesized that the redhead gene, MC1R, overactivates the human temperature-determining gene. This makes redheads more sensitive to temperature extremes and more sensitive to temperature changes. They can easily spot changes that otherwise go unnoticed.
10 Redheads have a slightly higher bruising rate.
Indeed, sometimes being a redhead is much more painful. Women with red hair bruise more easily. Healthy women aged 18 to 40 were taken for the study. They underwent many tests, which confirmed that the number of bruises increased, but all other indicators, such as hemoglobin content and platelet count, remained the same. The researchers concluded that redheads have hemostasis disorders, but they are hardly noticeable.
