Red hair comes from a recessive gene called MC1R, which means that both parents must be carriers of the MC1R gene to be in with a chance of having a ginger baby. Only 1-2% of the world's population gets to boast this natural gingerness (lucky things).
Lifespan: up to 20 years in captivity, 5-10 years in the wild.
Both characteristics come from recessive genes, which like to come in pairs. Redheads probably won't go grey. That's because the pigment just fades over time. So they will probably go blonde and even white, but not grey.
What percentage of the global population has red hair? About 1-2% of the global population has red hair.
How common is strawberry blonde hair? Having natural red hair is rare (like, two percent of the population rare), so coming across someone with natural strawberry blonde hair isn't common.
Did you know that red hair is a genetic mutation? Both parents must be carriers of the mutated MC1R gene to be able to produce redhead offspring.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
And, while redheads are often stereotyped as stubborn, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. As a matter of fact, that resoluteness is linked to a particular quality of your tresses; red hair doesn't go grey easily, and the strands of hair hang onto the colour for a long time, even if it becomes slightly faded.
Because it's a recessive trait, red hair can easily skip a generation. It can then reappear after skipping one or more generations if both parents, no matter their hair color, carry the red hair gene.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Dark haired beauties can get a spray tan as soon as the temperatures warm up, but redheads may need to wait a little longer until it is much warmer outside. The sunlight in the atmosphere helps a redhead's tresses to glisten, and that sunlight will shine and help to illuminate her tan.
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.
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.