Redheads feel hot and cold temperatures more severely than anyone else. In 2005, the University of Louisville discovered this hidden gift and hypothesised that the redhead gene, MC1R may cause the human temperature-detecting gene to become over-activated, making redheads more sensitive to thermal extremes.
Redheads are affected by the UV rays of the sun more than people with any other skin type, so it's important that you protect yourself from the damaging effects of prolonged sun exposure. We've put together this handy guide for redheads, so you can enjoy the sun without having to worry about your skin.
This is because of a specific gene connected to redheads – the MC1R gene. This gene makes the individual more sensitive to touch than people with other hair colours. It's the same gene that makes redheads more susceptible to feel hot and cold temperatures and also means us gingers have a higher pain threshold.
They easily detect changes in hot and cold temperatures. They may be less sensitive to electric shock, needle pricks and stinging pain on the skin.
Redheads have historically been linked to a variety of myths and prejudices, including the notion that they are fiery-tempered or hot-headed. However, because they are not supported by science, these preconceptions shouldn't be applied to people with red hair in general.
Colliss Harvey's research found that redheaded individuals have higher levels of vitamin D, which is a source of strength. She asserts that this has been a contributing factor in stereotypes surrounding the foxy minority, which make up 2% of the global population.
Lifespan: up to 20 years in captivity, 5-10 years in the wild.
The skin of a redhead is thinner compared to others and is derived from the ectoderm. Teeth enamel is also derived from the ectoderm and thus is thinner than usual. Since the enamel coating is thin, the inner layer of tooth-dentin is more visible and offers a yellowish appearance.
In other respects, however, redheads turn out to be tougher than other people. Research has produced evidence that redheads are less sensitive to stinging pain in the skin.
Research has shown that people with red hair perceive pain differently than others. They may be more sensitive to certain types of pain and can require higher doses of some pain-killing medications. However, studies suggest that their general pain tolerance may be higher.
Some evidence suggests redheaded adults often appear older than their actual age. For example, one study published in 2016 in Current Biology found that adults who carry two copies of the MC1R gene variant are more likely to look two years older than other people their age.
However, people with red hair produce little of the melanin that is good at blocking the sun's harmful light, and produce more of the melanin that doesn't do as good of a job in blocking sunlight, making them more likely to get sunburned.
The majority of redheads burn very easily, and this is something waaaay past their control. It's due to redheads having low levels of eumelanin and high levels of pheomelanin. What is melanin, you ask? It's what controls the colour of every human's skin.
The summer heat can be red hot, particularly for gingers, who are much more sensitive to heat and at higher risk of skin cancer.
And when you meet a red head with blue eyes, you are looking at the rarest colour combination of all for human beings. Around 17 per cent of people have blue eyes, and when combined with 1-2 per cent having red hair, the odds of having both traits are around 0.17 per cent.
As a group, redheads seem to be more likely to develop certain health conditions and have certain health risks. These include: Increased skin cancer risk. Altered sensitivity to pain.
These are recessive traits. The DNA for blonde hair and red hair are about equally strong. People who have DNA for both often have strawberry blonde hair.
Less than 2 percent of the world's population has red hair, making it the rarest hair color in the world. It's the result of the mutated MC1R gene. If both parents carry that gene, their child has a 25% chance of getting lovely, red locks, even if the parents don't have red hair themselves.
Rarest kind of redhead
Having red hair and blue eyes is the rarest hair/eye color combination possible. The odds of a person having both of those recessive traits is around 0.17%. Instead, most redheads have brown, hazel or green eyes, according to Medical Daily.
Is all red hair caused by albinism? Well, no. The red hair seen in people with European ancestry is caused by a mutation in a gene called MC1R. MC1R is involved in determining the balance of two variations of melanin in the body.
While it may seem that only Caucasians have red hair, people from all races and ethnicities have ginger locks. It is more common in areas such as Northern Europe and specific parts of Russia. However, the genetic mutation has also spread throughout parts of South America, Asia, and Africa.
According to an article by evolutionary biology professor Mark Elgar, PhD, of the University of Melbourne, blue-eyed redheads are the absolute rarest, with 0.17% of the population having that combination of hair and eye color.
Recessive traits like red hair can skip generations because they can hide out in a carrier behind a dominant trait. The recessive trait needs another carrier and a bit of luck to be seen. This means that it can sometimes take a few generations to finally make its presence known.