“In addition, there is recent evidence that redheads are more tolerant to local anesthetics and more sensitive to opioids.”
In a 2006 study published in Anesthesiology, women with red hair required much more anesthesia than women with dark hair, linked to a distinct genetic phenotype that redheads have.
It's no secret that their pale skin makes redheads more susceptible to sunburns and skin cancers. However, some research has found a link between redhead DNA and an increased risk of melanoma. Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that begins in melanocytes, cells that produce melanin.
There are two types of human melanin: eumelanin and pheomelanin. Eumelanin ranges from brown to black in colour. Pheomelanin ranges from red to pink. Redheads have much more pheomelanin than eumelanin in their bodies.
Research has produced evidence that redheads are less sensitive to stinging pain in the skin. This was shown in tests where capsaicin, the active substance in chilli, was injected into the skin to produce pain. "Our tests showed that redheads are less sensitive to this particular type of pain.
First up, studies have found that people with ginger hair are better in bed. 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.
They administered a variety of anesthetics, and then measured how much painful stimulation was necessary to get a response. Their findings showed that redheads required more anesthetic to block their movement and responses to pain, compared to women with dark hair.
Lifespan: up to 20 years in captivity, 5-10 years in the wild.
Fun facts about red hair strands
Redheads are less likely to go grey. The pigment in red hair typically fades over time from red to blonde and white, but not grey. Redheads produce more Vitamin D in a shorter amount of time than people with other hair colors.
Research indicates that redheads have higher thresholds for pain and need less vitamin D than the rest of us thanks to the MC1R gene mutation, which gives their hair its hue.
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.
Genetic variation in melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) is a known contributor to disease-free red hair in humans.
Since red hair is a recessive trait, the children of two redheaded parents will almost always be redheaded as well. In contrast, if only one parent is redheaded and the other has brown hair, there is a higher chance that the children will display the dominant trait and will have brown hair.
Redheads may, in fact, be genetically superior to their black, brown, and blonde haired brothers and sisters. Finally! Someone debunked the myth that redheads are going extinct saying, “First off, it is true that the gene for red hair is recessive.
Final Thoughts on Redheads and Alcohol Tolerance
There's not enough evidence to claim redheads have a higher tolerance to alcohol than other people. However, several social and genetic factors (including the MC1R mutation) may lead to a perception that they have a high tolerance and a predisposition to alcoholism.
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.
Ireland has the highest per capita percentage of redheads in the world -- anywhere from 10 to 30 percent, according to Eupedia, a website that explores European genetics and ancestry. They are almost equally prevalent in Scotland and other pockets of Celtic pride.
Ireland has the highest number of red-haired people per capita in the world, with the percentage of those with red hair at around 10%. Great Britain also has a high percentage of people with red hair.
Growing up, red-heads often bear the brunt of ridicule and teasing. Red-headed women are often perceived as fiery, but their male counterparts are associated with different stereotypes—they're clownish, weak and maybe a bit hefty.
Previous studies had shown that redheads inherit two versions of the MC1R gene that leads to red hair – one from their mum and one from their dad. Although almost everyone with red hair has two copies of the red-haired version of MC1R, not everyone carrying two red-haired versions is a redhead.
A study headed by Dr. Edwin Liem at the University of Louisville in Kentucky found that redheads are more sensitive to hot and cold, and are hurt by the cold at temperatures nearly 11 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than others.
Humans and mice with red hair have a different tolerance for pain because their skin's pigment-producing cells lack the function of a certain receptor. Lack of this receptor function causes changes that tip the balance between pain sensitivity and pain tolerance.
Since red hair is a recessive trait, the children of two redheaded parents will almost always be redheaded as well. In contrast, if only one parent is redheaded and the other has brown hair, there is a higher chance that the children will display the dominant trait and will have brown hair.