Researchers think that the ginger gene, known as MC1R, may cause the temperature-detecting gene to become over-activated, making redheads more sensitive to the cold.
We found that redheads were significantly more sensitive to cold pain perception, cold pain tolerance, and heat pain tolerance.
Detect temperature changes more accurately
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.
It has long been known that redheads are at higher risk of sunburn and skin cancer. This is to be expected because red hair is associated with fair skin, which is more vulnerable to UV radiation [1].
Some studies indicate that redheads are more prone to illness because they prefer to keep out of the sun and so lack vitamin D, or because their ability to absorb the vitamin is less efficient.
Lifespan: up to 20 years in captivity, 5-10 years in the wild.
Redheads Look Older Than They Are
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.
Redheads actually have less hair than most other people. On average they only have 90,000 strands of hair while blonds, for example, have 140,000. However, red hair is typically thicker so it still looks just as full.
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.
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 with red hair also respond more effectively to opioid pain medications, requiring lower doses.
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.
However, some anesthesiologists share an anecdotal impression that patients with natural red hair require more anesthesia than patients with other hair colors. The phenotype of nearly all red haired individuals can be traced to distinct mutations of the melanocortin-1 receptor gene (MC1R).
Redheads (men and women) differ chemically from the rest of us in that they can't make melanin (the brown pigment in freckles and tans). Instead, they make pheomelanin, which is reddish. Their sweat doesn't differ in composition from anyone else's, so there is no reason for them to smell different.
The mutation of the MC1R gene (the gene that regulates your skin pigmentation,) gives redheads their red hair. Unfortunately, the gene mutation also causes redheads to have thinner skin than most people.
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.
One study shows that, contrary to popular belief, redheads are not weaker than blondes or brunettes. After studying the effect of pain in humans, researchers found that redheads appear to be "better protected" on the surface level.
Most (natural) redheads will have brown eyes, followed by hazel or green shades.
How many redheads are there? Less than 2% of the world's population has red hair. The highest concentration of redheads is in Scotland (13%), followed by Ireland (10%).
gingerphobia (uncountable) (UK, informal) Fear, dislike, or hatred of people with red hair.
They are typified as impulsive, quick-tempered, libidinous, and wild. The personalities of people with red hair are often believed to be imitative of their red hair, and they are seen as fiery, hot-tempered, hot-blooded, passionate, and angry.
Why do people sometimes appear to be younger than others of the same age? The culprit turns out to be an innocent-sounding gene, MC1R, responsible for producing, among other things, locks of fetching red hair as well as pale skin, researchers have discovered.
A new survey reported by the Daily Mail says ladies should start worrying in their 30s: specifically, ages 30, 32, and 35 (for redheads, brunettes, and blonds, respectively).
Thanks to genetics, gingers tend to retain their red hair colour for a lot longer, skipping out the greying stage that most other people experience.
The DNA for blonde or red hair is not as strong as brown. In order to have blonde hair, both of your alleles need to be blonde. The same is true for red hair. These are recessive traits.
The board noted that the Code does not refer to hair colour or physical attributes of a person and considered that having red hair is not a disability.