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Science of redheads: ‘Whoa, how did you get here?’

4 min read

Maybe it’s just me.

Think about your token redhead friends: Sometimes there are fellow gingers in their immediate family, but so many times they’re the two-yolk-egg in a carton of singles.

Where do they come from?

They are often the lucky recipients of two copies – one from their mother and one from their father – of the MC1R gene, which is responsible for red hair, fair skin, freckles and a decreased ability to tan.

Redheads belong to a pretty exclusive club with only 1 to 2 percent of the world’s population getting to claim the title. The percentage of of people carrying that MC1R gene skyrockets, relatively, for northern Europeans.

Why would that be? Think about it. (Cue Jeopardy theme.)

Here it is: We superhumans can create our own vitamin D (which is more of a hormone than a vitamin, as scientists have discovered) with the help of sunlight. The farther from the equator a person lives, the less sunlight to which a person is exposed, making the creation of vitamin D more difficult. Melanin – or the component in our skin responsible for pigmentation and blocking the effects of UV light – is high in darker skinned folks and low in those with fairer skin.

So, fair skin/less melanin is an adaptation toward allowing more sunlight to penetrate the skin and create vitamin D – an adaptation that can cause some trouble.

When too much UV radiation is allowed to pass, skin cancer can be the result. Recent research suggests, however, that the lack of protective melanin may not be the only cause for an increased prevalence of skin cancer in those with red hair.

A genetic change associated with redheadedness can prevent binding to agents that protect cells from cancerous changes. So far, this has only been observed in lab mice, meaning that more research is needed before we can draw the same conclusions about humans.

Before you call your redheaded bud a wuss, listen to this: In an unfortunate one-two punch, researchers have found (human) redheads to be more sensitive to pain and less sensitive to the effects of anesthesia. Specifically, this population is more sensitive to the effects of hot and cold and less responsive to lidocaine (often used to numb skin or gums).

Let’s continue this depressing ruby-hued train by discussing the association between redheads and Parkinson’s disease – a degenerative disease of the central nervous system that has gained notoriety in recent years after the diagnosis of Michael J. Fox.

In a 2009 study of 130,000 people over the course of 16 years, there was an increased risk for Parkinson’s disease in the lighter-haired participants versus those with black hair, and redheads were nearly twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s disease compared to their black-haired counterparts. (Admittedly, this study’s design has a few flaws, but it’s interesting nonetheless.)

Let’s face it, history has not been kind to our carrot-topped friends. Judas Iscariot and Mary Magdalene are often depicted as redheads; medieval Romanians believed red hair only belonged to vampires; Shakespeare has used the locks to denote less-than-amiable characters as having a “fiery temper and sharp tongue.”

If you’re sick of all the auburn-haters, head to the Netherlands. A town called Breda holds Roodharigendag, or Redhead Days, each September, which celebrates gingers with art exhibitions, lectures, photo shoots and incredible amounts of Guinness.

And, evidence seems to refute the belief that redheads bleed more after medical procedures.

Now, that’s something you can hang your hat on.

Abigail Mackey is a registered nurse and natural strawberry blonde. For more quips and tips, follow her on Twitter at @AbigailMackeyRN.

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