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.
A McGill University study found that redheads could handle more electric shocks than those with different coloured hair. Other research discovered that gingers are better at handling stabbing or sharp pain.
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.
Red Hair May Be Good for Your Bones
Throughout history, the “ginger gene” likely protected many redheads against rickets, a disorder that softens and weakens bones due to vitamin D deficiency, according to Professor Jonathon Rees of the University of Edinburgh.
In order to be a redhead, a baby needs two copies of the red hair gene (a mutation of the MC1R gene) because it is recessive. This means if neither parent is ginger, they both need to carry the gene and pass it on — and even then they will have just a 25% chance of the child turning out to be a redhead.
The same mutation that makes their hair red is also what causes them to be more sensitive to temperature changes — even slight ones. They feel hot and cold temperature changes faster and with greater intensity than those with other hair colors.
Specifically, redheads have a mutated melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) gene that produces an altered receptor for MSH. Melanocytes, the cells that produce pigment in skin and hair, use the MC1R to recognize and respond to MSH from the anterior pituitary gland.
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.
Here's what studies have revealed about redheads and pain: They need about 20 percent more anesthesia to be sedated. They also need more local topical anesthetics, such as lidocaine or Novocain, which is why many redheads have a fear of dentists, according to the American Dentistry Association.
According to Health Magazine, redheads can produce their own vitamin D when exposed to low levels of light. 4. You may not need as much pain medication. The gene responsible for red hair (MC1R) also releases a hormone that is similar to endorphins which limit the feeling of pain.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
While redheads have the normal risk for traction alopecia from prolonged tight hair tying, and for male/female pattern baldness, they're more prone to winter hair loss.
As it turns out, the receptor may also be connected to another unique trait that some studies have found red-haired people to have—a higher threshold for pain. To study these connections, scientists looked at red-haired mice that also have higher pain thresholds and a non-functioning version of this receptor.
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.
The rarest natural hair colour is red, which makes up only one to two percent of the global population. You commonly see these hair colours in western and northern areas of Europe, especially Scotland and Ireland. However, natural redheads may not exist for much longer.
Redheads actually retain their natural pigment a lot longer than other shades, so there is no need to panic about going gray or white. Natural red hair simply fades with age through a spectrum of colors of faded copper to rosy-blonde, then to silvery white.
Blue eyed redheads are super rare
Blue eyes and red hair forms the rarest combo on earth. Most (natural) redheads will have brown eyes, followed by hazel or green shades.
A redhead of African descent is pretty rare. Except when people are of mixed ancestry, red hair in Africans is usually caused by a kind of albinism. When people think of albinism, they may picture people with white hair, pale skin and pink eyes.
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.