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.
Someone with red hair has two copies of the MC1R gene, receiving one from each parent. The gene also carries a certain mutation in most people who have red hair. It's this variant that has been identified as playing a role in why redheads may respond to pain drugs differently 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.
It is a commonly held clinical belief that people with red hair respond to medications differently from those with other hair colors. "Redheads are a 'tough knockout'" is a commonly heard aphorism among anesthesiologists. Now, there is valid evidence that the saying is true.
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.
Redheads often stand out from the crowd with their fiery-colored hair. But their genetics, namely two copies of the MC1R gene, may put them at a higher or lower risk for many health conditions than others. For instance, some people with red hair may have an increased risk of skin cancer.
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.
Redheads also typically need more topical anesthetics, such as lidocaine or Novocain, according to a 2009 study the Journal of the American Dental Association. Research also shows that redheads are more responsive to the painkilling effects of opioids, meaning they require lower doses.
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.
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.
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.
Not only are they more likely to burn when the mercury rises, but they also feel the most pain when it drops. Researchers at Louisville University in Kentucky have discovered that people with ginger hair are more sensitive than most.
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.
Conclusion: Red hair is the phenotype for mutations of the melanocortin 1 receptor. Our results indicate that redheads are more sensitive to thermal pain and are resistant to the analgesic effects of subcutaneous lidocaine.
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.
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.
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.
Worldwide, only 2% of people have red hair. People with red hair are likely more sensitive to pain. This is because the gene mutation (MC1R) that causes red hair is on the same gene linked to pain receptors. It also means redheads usually need more anesthesia for dental and medical procedures.
In 2004, Liem et al. showed that in a head-to-head comparison of 20 healthy women, the redhead phenotype required a higher alveolar concentration of desflurane to not “feel” an electrical stimulus (a surrogate for minimal alveolar concentration, or MAC).
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.
Red hair is a recessive trait, which means that only those who get two “redhead” versions of the gene, one from the mother and one from the father, will have red hair.
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.