This is to be expected because red hair is associated with fair skin, which is more vulnerable to UV radiation [1]. Less expectedly, red hair is also associated with pain sensitivity, endometriosis, Parkinson's disease, decreased platelet function and, perhaps, defects in the immune system [2–11].
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.
About 1–2% of people of European origin have red hair. Especially female redheads are known to suffer higher pain sensitivity and higher incidence of some disorders, including skin cancer, Parkinson's disease and endometriosis.
Although we tend to look at outward appearances first, people with red hair have significant internal differences as a result of their MC1R mutation: they are far more prone to get skin cancer/melanoma; they have a different temperature tolerance; Parkinsonism is more likely to occur later in life; they may bleed more ...
Lifespan: up to 20 years in captivity, 5-10 years in the wild.
But redheads age better because the MC1R gene helps them look two years younger on average than they actually are. They also produce more Vitamin D protecting against rickets which weakens bones and tuberculosis which can be fatal.
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.
Other Sacharov redlines: "The connection between red hair and a fiery temperament may be more than just an old wives' tale. An Israeli psychiatrist reported that redheaded children are three to four times more likely than others to develop hyperactivity.
Red hair is seen on the heads of only four percent of people. Most of these exist in the U.K., the Republic of Ireland, and Australia.
Sex Researcher Professor Dr Werner Habermehl said: “The sex lives of women with red hair were clearly more active than those with other hair colour, with more partners and having sex more often than the average. The research shows that the fiery redhead certainly lives up to her reputation.”
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.
People who carry certain versions of the MCR1 gene tend to have red hair and fair skin. Some studies – but not all – have suggested carrying certain red hair MC1R variants and having red hair are also associated with an increased risk of Parkinson's disease.
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.
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.
Myths About Who Is Autistic
Truth: The CDC estimates that a little more than 2% of U.S. adults are autistic, and about 1 in 44 children are autistic. For reference, that's about the same percentage (or slightly more) of the population who are redheads.
Eumelanin ranges from brown to black in colour. Pheomelanin ranges from red to pink. Redheads have much more pheomelanin than eumelanin in their bodies. That's why their skin tone is often so light, and why their hair is often reddish.
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.
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.
Share selection to: For every 100 people in the world, only one or two will have red hair. And when you meet a red head with blue eyes, you are looking at the rarest colour combination of all for human beings.
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.
This is due to the highest concentration of people with red hair and pale skin living in cloudier, European regions which has resulted in the unique adaptation, While helpful in its own right, higher levels of vitamin D also make it less likely for them to get arthritis and diabetes.
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.