Redheads—that unique and exotic trait—have been the subject of numerous myths and discrimination throughout history. But what does science tell us about redheads? A wealth of interesting facts that will surprise you.
Biology has much to tell us about the reason for this peculiar trait, and psychology reveals how unjust the discrimination and false myths have been that have plagued one of the most beautiful traits that evolution has bestowed upon the human species. We invite you to discover the cause of this condition, its characteristics, and its social impact.
What does science tell us about redheads: origin, causes and characteristics
Science has a lot to offer us to better understand this misunderstood condition. We explain everything below.
What is this characteristic for?
This is due to a genetic mutation, that is, a structural change in DNA. Specifically, it involves several mutations in the MC1R gene that have resulted in four or five variants. This gene is involved in the synthesis of melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color. However, when mutated, it loses the ability to synthesize eumelanin—the pigment that gives skin its usual darker color—and instead synthesizes pheomelanin , which is orange-red.
There is nothing “bad” about this, thanks to mutations different alternatives for an original gene appear that can be beneficial for the environment where they occur. And this is the case of redheads, which appeared by mutation of this gene in northern regions, where it turned out to be an advantage. For this reason, discrimination towards this trait does not make any sense, it does not make sense in biological terms and even less in social terms, since discrimination is never justified. Years of evolution have been in charge of introducing this alternative to the human species and we are not the one to question that "evolution did it wrong by allowing redheads in the world", it is absurd as well as aberrational. A discrimination product only of the most daring ignorance.
Many studies are currently unraveling the molecular and evolutionary reasons that gave rise to this trait, characterized by orange-reddish hair and a pale, freckled complexion. As an example, we can illustrate a study conducted at Jaume I University, where researcher Conrado Martínez Cadenas explains:
«Our genetic chain has 50 to 70 genes involved in pigmentation, but only one of them is responsible for the existence of redheads: MC1R. Four or five variants of this gene prevent the body from producing the most common type of melanin, eumelanin, which is dark brown in color. People with these mutations can only make the other existing class of melanin: pheomelanin, red in color.
Where it appeared?
In the northernmost regions of the planet, where solar radiation is very low , red hair is the result of an adaptation to predominantly cloudy regions where pheomelanin thrives in such environments. We're talking about regions like Ireland, England, Norway, Sweden…
We know that this is so due to the evidence of analyzed fossil remains of Neanderthals in whose DNA the mutation for the MC1R gene has been found, and this is confirmed by a study where it says that:
“Mutations specific to redheads have been found in the genome of Neanderthals, the species that predates modern humans. They became extinct around 40.000 years ago and populated parts of Europe and the Middle East. Neanderthals mutated genetically to populate the northern lands.”
Therefore, this feature is only suitable for the mentioned conditions and would be devastating in regions of high UV radiation, so we will not see redheads naturally in tropical regions (with globalization yes, but not if we lived wild like our ancestors) . This is how Cadenas clarifies it for us:
“In areas close to the tropics, people have to be very dark to defend themselves from solar radiation, so they all have the same variant, which produces a lot of eumelanin. Redhead variants of the MC1R gene do not exist in Africa. In fact, in England, Norway and Sweden the health system prescribes vitamin D supplements for children who have a skin color other than white.
When did it take place?
“It’s not known exactly when it appeared , ” replies Martínez Cadenas . He continues: “ There are studies that place its origin 500.000 years ago, but it’s not known for sure. Some of the mutations characteristic of redheads have been found when sequencing the genome of Neanderthals, the species that preceded Homo sapiens, which lived from 500.000 years ago until they became extinct about 40.000 years ago, and populated mainly areas of Europe and the Middle East.”
Distribution of redheads on the planet
We know that currently the highest concentration of redheads—by far—is in Ireland, Scotland, England, the Netherlands, northern Germany, Iceland, and Norway . Researchers believe the MC1R gene evolved to populate more northerly latitudes.
However, with the phenomenon of globalization we can find redheads all over the world, yes, with proper care in regions of high solar radiation.
Distinctive features of redheads
The acquisition of this quality is evolutionarily favorable, otherwise it would have disappeared from the planet. However, there are characteristics of this condition that present associated risks and others, on the other hand, that place them in an advantageous way compared to "common mortals". We see it below.
Reddish-orange hair and white skin with freckles
These are the most obvious physical characteristics of a redhead, and they are most readily apparent to everyone. This is due to the predominance of pheomelanin in their bodies, which, while giving them a unique beauty, has very particular metabolic consequences.
In addition to their characteristic hair color , it is often curly or wavy , although not always. Their fair complexion may have a varying density of freckles on the face and body , from a few barely visible ones to a noticeable overpopulation.
They synthesize vitamin D more easily
The main advantage of the MC1R gene mutation is its increased efficiency in synthesizing vitamin D in areas with very low levels of solar radiation . In this regard, our lead researcher, Martínez Cadenas, states that:
“ This vitamin is essential for bone formation and is produced in the superficial layers of the skin upon contact with UV rays. Fair skin, with less melanin production and less protection against these rays, will produce it more easily than dark skin. ”
Your skin is “more delicate”
Based on the information available so far, we can say that redheads' skin is "more delicate" in terms of its vulnerability to UV exposure. So much so, that a study published in Nature Communications states that redheads have a higher risk of developing melanoma , one of the most aggressive forms of skin cancer. In this regard, Cadenas explains: "The problem for redheads is that they don't produce eumelanin to protect them from radiation. UV rays damage the cells, they have trouble replicating, and over time, they lose control and a tumor forms."
Meanwhile, other studies prove that: “Studies in mice prove that the probability of redheads suffering from melanoma is independent of their exposure to UV radiation: the production of pheomelanin would in itself be a risk factor for cancer,” says Ismael Galván, a researcher in the Evolutionary Ecology department of the Doñana Biological Station belonging to the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).
However, a curious fact is that red-haired women are more protected against cancer than their male counterparts with the same genetic condition, and this is due to female hormones (estrogen and progesterone). These hormones are responsible for the body synthesizing a greater amount of melanin, which results in a slightly darker skin, hair, and eye color than red-haired men, and therefore, greater protection against UV radiation: “This is very clear in pregnant women, who tan more than usual even when it's not summer. The placenta generates estrogens that cause skin cells to produce more melanin. They also cause spots, freckles, a vertical dark line down the stomach, and melasma on the forehead or cheeks,” explains Martínez Cadenas.
Your pain threshold is lower
The mutation in the MC1R gene not only affects the skin, producing freckles and other well-known features of this condition, but it has also been shown to have implications for the nervous system, leading these individuals to experience pain more intensely.
In fact, it has been observed in dental consultations that red-haired patients require higher doses of anesthesia during their procedures, further fueling the popular fear of going to the dentist.
Your blood takes longer to clot
This mutation also has hemodynamic repercussions: the blood of redheads takes longer to clot. However, the difference is minimal compared to the non-mutant condition and does not imply, a priori, risks of bleeding or other associated conditions.
“The MC1R is not only the switch that causes one pigment or another to be produced, but it is also slightly involved in other bodily functions. Although the difference is not very large, they have a lower pain threshold and their blood takes longer to clot ” (Martínez Cadenas).
Redheads are at higher risk of developing endometriosis
It also appears that there are certain repercussions at the level of some tissues: research from the University of Kentucky found a correlation between this genetic mutation and the tendency to develop endometriosis.
Let's talk about the mutation hipster
The term "hipster mutation " has been used to describe the condition in some men who, despite having dark or blond hair, have reddish beards . What causes it? The exact causes are currently unknown; we only know that the mutant variant of the MC1R gene is expressed more in some tissues than others, but we don't know why.
The term “hipster” also refers to the phenomenon that occurs in red-haired or blonde people who have darker underarm and pubic hair , and the cause is also unknown.
"The same genetics cause a variant to be expressed more in some tissues than in others. It is not known why or which variants are involved. It also happens that blond people tend to have much darker hair on their beard, armpits, pubic area or chest than the hair on their head," Cadenas explains.
Redheads won't go away
While there are far more redheads in the world than we might think, their population is still a minority. This fact, along with their apparent genetic fragility (we've already mentioned some of the drawbacks of this trait), has led to the recurring idea of redhead extinction. This false belief stems from ignorance and prejudice, and within the scientific community, from a misinterpretation in the genetic analysis of their inheritance. Let's see what science tells us about redheads :
Error in the interpretation of the recessive gene
In 2014, National Geographic published a widely publicized article warning that rising global temperatures due to climate change would eliminate the advantage of fair skin for redheads in Nordic countries. Geneticist Adam Rutherford refuted this claim in the British newspaper The Guardian , attributing it to a misinterpretation of the term "recessive gene" responsible for this trait.
But what is a recessive gene ? It's one that remains hidden in the presence of a dominant gene, which masks or makes it invisible . Genes always occur in pairs because we are diploid organisms and have one genetic copy from each of our parents. Therefore, there will always be a dominance-recessive relationship between them (for the type of inheritance we're discussing in this particular case) through which the trait in question will ultimately be expressed. In the case of redheads, the presence of two recessive copies is necessary for the trait to manifest.
Dark brown hair would be the dominant gene. And what about blondes? The blonde condition is also due to a recessive gene compared to the dominant dark brown gene. The key to understanding red hair is to grasp something that the researchers in the National Geographic publication missed: the recessive genes for blonde and red hair are different , with the recessive gene for red hair being dominant over the recessive gene for blonde hair.
In conclusion: we have three variants for the "hair color" gene, where the red hair variant is recessive to the brown variant but dominant to the blond variant. Martínez Cadenas explains it this way:
“The gene is indeed recessive to dark hair, but dominant to blond hair; it is believed that in countries with more blond people, the number of redheads is higher because it manifests when the other parent has lighter hair and is hidden when combined with a darker one.”
“Stronger than blond, weaker than dark”
Therefore, given the inheritance patterns of redheads, the only thing that would cause them to disappear from the world would be if they stopped reproducing, and that idea is as absurd as it is improbable. Therefore, redheads will not disappear, nor are they "endangered."
Redheads are NOT bad luck: we are talking about their discrimination
It's surreal that at this point in human history, this clarification is still necessary, since there are still those who touch a button on their clothing when they see a redhead to break the supposed curse of bad luck (a custom believed to have been inherited from the Roman Empire), not to mention the bullying that occurs in schools due to this trait . Derogatory terms like "carrot," "whitey," or "milky" have been commonplace in schools and other settings, and this is unacceptable.
Unfortunately, redheads have been persecuted throughout history, just like other ethnic and cultural groups, or women.
In the Middle Ages, red-haired women were condemned to be burned at the stake for "being witches," and in the 20th century, Hitler promoted hatred towards redheads or gingerism , establishing their execution as a "race" and prohibiting marriage between them.
“As a child, he was bullied for his freckled complexion, his red hair, for being a foreigner, and for speaking poor German” (Gianni Infantino, FIFA president during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar).
Your current social claim
Years of discrimination and misunderstanding have fueled the necessary movement to reclaim the rights of redheads. Today, they celebrate their uniqueness at festivals around the world and demand a greater presence on social media.
Festivals are a declaration of intent and here we show some of them:
- "The mission is simple: celebrate red hair, freckles and everything that makes redheads different" (Omar Fornataro, founder of Redheads Club in Argentina).
- “Our color makes us one of the most dispersed minority groups in the world. Since 2013 we celebrate our day, synchronizing with ten other Spanish-speaking countries» (Omar Fornataro).
- «I never thought that there were so many redheads in the country as those who had come attracted by that single advertisement. They were of all shades: straw red, lemon, orange, brick, setter dog, liver red, clay red… but there were not many that presented the true fiery red hue” (Arthur Conan Doyle in his book "The League of Redheads").
The inclusion of red-haired emoticons in WhatsApp
The growing social recognition of this trait led redheads worldwide to unite and increase their visibility online, petitioning WhatsApp to include redhead emojis in its emoji selection. Until then, these emojis were absent, a fact considered discriminatory and exclusionary. In 2016, the company accepted the petition and added redhead emojis to its interface.