Redheads, also known as ‘ginger’s, after the character on Gilligan’s Island, first appeared as the result of a genetic mutation with the first documented case of natural-born redhead occurring in Scotland, and here are a few images of redheads as seen by Paul Goulding Photography.
Less than 2% of the world’s population have red hair, and Scotland boasts the highest percentage of natural redheads while Ireland comes in second.
You might’ve never actually thought about it before, but how rare is it actually to have red hair? It turns out that if you’re talking about the U.S., it’s extremely rare. Only about 2% of the population in the U.S. has red hair, and that estimate is probably a bit on the high end. Of course, this number varies by country. In places like Ireland, that number is closer to 10%.
Natural redheads are rare, and the gene is recessive, meaning both parents must each be carrying the recessive gene for their child to have red hair.
Natural red hair is less likely to go gray and a redhead’s ability to produce a pheomelanin also allows them to have a higher resistance to pain.
This urban legend definitely doesn’t sound like something you’d expect to be true, but it turns out that the science actually backs up what people say about redheads and pain tolerance. People with red hair actually have a higher pain tolerance on average than others.
Redheads have a history of being thought of as funnier. Traditionally, redheads have been thought of as being funnier as most of the first circus clowns in the U.S. would wear red wigs. This was partly due to the fact that red hair was becoming more popular and more common in the U.S., as the country was seeing a huge influx of immigrants from Ireland.
Red hair allows some to create their own vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential, and most of us get it from hanging out in the sun. However, because there are a lot of redheads in northern European countries (we’re looking at you, Ireland) that don’t get as much sun as others, their bodies have become better at synthesizing what vitamin D they do get. This has all kinds of health benefits, including a lower risk of diseases such as diabetes and arthritis.
Producers have a thing for redheads. Despite having one of the rarest hair colors, they’re disproportionality represented when it comes to commercials. A 2014 study found that around 30% of commercials contained a redhead, which is a surprisingly large number considering how few redheads there actually are out there. For reference, only about 2% of the population in the U.S. actually has red hair, which is a pretty large discrepancy.
When most people think of redheads, they usually think of places like Ireland or Scotland. However, redheads can be from anywhere, including Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. There just happens to be more redheads in northern European countries for some reason. Another surprising country with a large share of redheads happens to be Morocco. This is due to a couple of different reasons, including the Berber population in North Africa.
If you’re someone who’s ever wished they could keep their hair from going gray, then this fact is for you. Redheads take a lot longer to go gray than other hair colors. Usually, red hair just loses some of its luster as a person ages. Their hair fades until it becomes copper and then a blonde color, then it slowly turns gray, if it turns a different color at all.
This one probably goes without saying, but there are many different shades of red hair out there. Some are bright red, while others are darker in color. There are also many different levels of vibrancy that can affect how red hair looks. In general, there are about six or seven different general hues of red hair, although, again, the shades within these hues can vary from person to person.
There’s a rare condition that results from a lack of protein and can turn hair red. The condition, called Kwashiorkor, is sometimes found in places where people lack protein in their diets. However, it can also cause things like rashes and edema in people who have it.
