Redhead Facts You Definitely Didn’t Know Before Today

Humans often fear the unknown and fixate on it until it becomes an obsession. That’s especially true when you think about redheads. Since they are rare in nature, people with red hair often face stigma, and that’s shown throughout history.

In fact, most cultures had mixed opinions when it came to those with red hair, and it went on throughout the centuries. Most people don’t understand why they are so rare, which led communities to believe they were supernatural or even magical beings. However, most of that isn’t true. Here’s what you never knew about redheaded people.

Left-Handed

Research indicates that those with red hair are more likely to be left-handed because of the recessive trait in their DNA. Only a small amount of people are left-handed in the world, which affects roughly 10 to 15 percent of the population.

National Redhead Day

National Redhead Day is on November 5 of every year. The annual celebration is called Love Your Red Hair Day in the USA. However, other countries celebrate, as well. The holiday was established to show appreciation for those with the rare color so that they feel loved.

Different Red Hues

Ginger hair has six different hues, so the darkness and vibrancy might differ between people born with red hair. You might find strawberry-blond, but the darkest is dark auburn. Most people focus on the bright red color when they think of redheads, though.

Red Hair Means Vampire

The Greek people often associated people with red hair as being Thracians. They lived north of Greece. In fact, the Greeks commonly believed that redheads were barbaric in nature, so they turned to vampires when they died.

Surnames Reflect the Hue

Some redhead-inspired surnames include Flynn (bright red) and Flannery (red eyebrows). Such last names are still common in the British Isles, but the most common one is Reid. This means a red-haired person or someone who has a ruddy complexion.

Fear of Red Hair

If you have an intense dislike or fear for people with red hair, you’re called ginger-phobic. Gingerphobia is a real thing, and extreme cases could cause someone to hate redheads in general. It seems a little strange!

Cats and Red Hair

Mark Twain was a famous actor who once said that he believed redheads came from cats initially. Back then, there was a common belief floating around that redheads were more hot-tempered than those with other hair colors. This led to many stereotypes throughout the years.

Possible Extinction

Studies indicate that the red hair gene might be eradicated from people’s DNA by 2060. However, some scientists believe that the gene can stay dormant for a while and return. Overall, if people with the gene have children, it will survive and be passed on.

Harder to Dye

Natural red hair is often firmer and hard to dye. Therefore, people require a bleaching process, and there might be two or three rounds of it before the hair dye sticks. This is severely damaging, so most redheads keep their ginger hues.

Dark to Red

In 1932, many children had hair that turned red because of a specific protein deficiency disease. Kwashiorkor happens when a person’s diet is high in starch but low in protein. They often experience anemia, digestive problems, dry skin, and more.

Prone to Parkinson’s Disease

Scientists learned that people with red hair develop skin cancer at higher rates than those with other shades. That could lead to fatal or debilitating brain disorders. The MC1R gene is one thing that redheads are vulnerable to, which means a higher risk of Parkinson’s disease.

Neanderthals with Red Hair Gene

Research indicates that our pre-evolved ancestors once had red pigmentation of the hair, so there’s a similar red hair gene in them. However, it wasn’t as vibrant as it is today, suggesting that Neanderthals didn’t inbreed with each other.

Hitler and Redheads

Hitler is well-known as the worst dictator in history, and he forbade redheads from marrying because he thought they would have spoiled offspring. He never gave any other explanation for his ruling.

Common Sacrifices in Egypt

Redheads were more likely to be offered as a sacrifice to Osiris in ancient Egypt. It happened in its early history and was quite common. Similar to the Salem witches, Egyptians burned redheaded men, scattering their ashes.

Culturally Common Myths and Rumors

History has shown many prejudices and myths surrounding those with red hair. Some have led to ridicule for those with the shade. This came from ancient belief that redheads are associated with the devil and are aggressive and temperamental.

More Value in Redheaded Slaves

Romans preferred redheaded slaves, pricing them higher because they were in demand. Owning a redhead as a slave was a symbol of high status and wealth. Many slaves were forced to use dye to be kept on in the household.

No Gray Hairs

Scientists have learned that redheaded people retain their natural pigmentation longer than others. Therefore, aging redheads don’t have gray hair. It moves to copper, blond, and then silvery-white.

Lilith, Adam’s First Wife, Had Red Hair

Lilith was only mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible (Isaiah, Chapter 34). Scholars now debate its translation, but it appears the original text said something about a mass of flaming hair.

More Anesthesia to Sleep

One common belief among scientists is that a redhead needs more anesthesia because they have a low pain tolerance. The mutation leading to the red hue causes this, as well. A study from 2004 shows that they need about 19 to 20 percent more anesthesia for medical procedures!

Satan Portrayed with Red Hair

Satan is often portrayed as having red hair because red is often associated with sexual desire and moral degradation. Aside from that sinister imagery, ancient Gaul claimed that redheads had special magical abilities!

Redheaded Adam

Some scholars think Adam had red hair because his name means “red.” Likewise, the Bible indicates that he had a rosy complexion. There are various translations of this one sentence, but it might refer to the sunrise and how it’s red. Who knows?

Africans Believe Redheads Are Witches

In the past, those in Africa believed that witches and witchcraft were the cause of several murders. That added more cultural stigma against redheads, but some parts of the country still believe that those with red hair are witches.

Eve as a Redhead

You can find a few art pieces that depict Eve as having red hair. Domenico Zampieri created The Rebuke of Adam and Eve, Hieronymus Bosch painted The Garden of Earthly Delights, and Hans Baldung Grien made Eve, Serpent, and Death.

Bruise More Easily

Medical professionals can confirm that redheads bruise more easily because of the data presented to them. Research indicates that the MC1R gene might also change the lining of the body’s blood vessels or compromise their immune system.

Influential Throughout History

Scholars have paid attention to influential figures throughout history to determine if they were redheads, and many of them are. For example, you can see Napoleon Bonaparte, Cleopatra, Helen of Troy, Vincent Van Gogh, Thomas Jefferson, and Galileo all had this shade.

Pigs and Birds Help Us Understand Redheads

Some scientists think that a redhead’s red pigmentation is associated with a smaller brain size. They tested more than 1,400 species of boars and birds to try and learn how the pigmentation might affect the redhead’s health.

Pagan Witches Dyed Their Hair

Modern pagans believe that hair is attached to vitality and strength. Since red hair is thought to provide more magical energy, some witches dye theirs with henna before performing rituals! That’s pretty interesting.

Bees Prefer Redheads

Scientists think that bees like redheads better than other hair colors because their bright hair pigmentation resembles flowers. If they also use flowery or fruity shampoos, they’re likely to attract even more of these creatures.

More Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent throughout the world and affects about 50 percent of the population. However, redheads can produce melanin internally when they don’t get enough of this vitamin because their bodies just can’t absorb enough.

Idon of Mu as the First Redhead

Idon of Mu is said to have gotten red hair when visiting Atlantis after running away from his homeland. He marveled at the red pigment in the sky upon arrival, and his hair changed colors. Now, people say redheads descended from the prince.

Conceived During Menstruation

Most people in medieval times believed that menstrual blood was highly dangerous, saying that it could harm a man’s penis. Therefore, if a baby was conceived during the woman’s menstruation period, they believed he or she would have red hair or be deformed!

Blue Eyes and Redheads Are Rare

Though redheads are rare, those who have blue eyes are extremely rare. The odds of having both recessive traits is just 0.17 percent! In fact, both parents require the gene for red hair and blue eyes, and then it’s still not a surety that the child will have both.

Perfect Poison

George Chapman wrote a play called the Tragedy of Bussy D’Ambois, which is based on real events that occurred in 1579. In one part, he noted that you needed the fat of a redheaded man to create the best poison to kill someone.

More Prone to Skin Cancer

Redheads often have a 100 percent chance of getting melanoma compared to other hair colors. This is because of the MC1R mutation they carry. Melanoma is a dangerous skin cancer type, and 2015 showed three million active cases.

More Sexually Active

A study in Germany researched women’s sex lives based on hair color. It found that those with red hair are often more sexually active than others. This is probably because of societal standards and the fact that redheads are so rare, so they’re naturally more desirable.

Sensitivity to Temperature Changes

You learned earlier that redheads are more sensitive to pain, but that also means they can sense temperature changes more quickly. This happens more intensely than in people with dark hair colors. Generally, scientists think it’s because the gene mutated the senses.

Redheaded Witches

Europe had a ton of witch hunts in the 16th and 17th centuries. Those with red hair were often stripped down to nothing and shaved to prevent them from doing magic. To add insult to injury, they were tortured and killed because of their features.

Fewer Hair Strands

Redheads average about 90,000 strands of hair, which seems like a lot. However, blondes often have 140,000 or more. Still, those with red hair have thicker tresses, so it appears they have more than other people.

Tiziano Vecelli and Red

Also called Titan, Tiziano Vecelli was well-known for paintings of redheads in the renaissance period. His most famous work has to be the “Assumption of the Virgin,” which he painted in 1516. Since he used the color often, it was associated with him beyond his death.

Recessive Trait

Red hair is a recessive trait, so the person requires two copies of the gene for it to show up. Therefore, both parents must carry the gene, but even then, there’s a one-in-four chance of having a child with red hair. It’s definitely a rare thing!