What percent of the population has red hair? (2023)

Why is red hair so rare?

Ever wonder why redheads make up less than 2% of the population? It's all about science, genes, and a little luck! Red hair occurs when the MC1R gene is present. This is a recessive gene that must be carried by both parents in order for a child to have red hair.

Red hair (also known as orange hair and ginger hair) is a hair color found in one to two percent of the human population, appearing with greater frequency (two to six percent) among people of Northern or Northwestern European ancestry and lesser frequency in other populations.

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.

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.

REDHEADS are significantly less likely to age badly.

According to their findings, those who carry a variation of the MC1R gene responsible for red hair, look around two years younger than they actually are.

Most (natural) redheads will have brown eyes, followed by hazel or green shades.

Less than 2% of the world's population has red hair. The highest concentration of redheads is in Scotland (13%), followed by Ireland (10%).

Ireland has the highest per capita percentage of redheads in the world -- anywhere from 10 to 30 percent, according to Eupedia, a website that explores European genetics and ancestry. They are almost equally prevalent in Scotland and other pockets of Celtic pride.

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.

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.

Do most redheads go bald?

Redheads have less hair on their heads

On average, flame-haired beauties have 90,000 strands, compared to blondes with 110,000, and brunettes with 140,000. They're not exactly going bald though, as each strand of natural ginger hair is much thicker, so the appearance is often that redheads have more hair in general.

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.

So what does that all mean for your chances of having a red-headed child? Since you need two pieces of “red hair” DNA to have red hair, your child will only have red hair if they receive “red hair” DNA from both parents. Even if you don't have red hair, you can still pass on a red hair allele to your child!

Neutral undertones are especially lucky in this scenario. Since neutral undertones usually have a mix of warm and cool tones, they can virtually work with any red hair color thrown their way. “Neutral skin tones are a little more flexible as you can wear almost anything,” says Reid.

We found that green is the most popular lens colour, with brown coming in a close second, despite it being one of the most common eye colours. Although blue and hazel are seen as the most attractive eye colours for men and women they are surprisingly the least popular.

About 1–2% of people of European origin have red hair. Especially female redheads are known to suffer higher pain sensitivity and higher incidence of some disorders, including skin cancer, Parkinson's disease and endometriosis.

Lifespan: up to 20 years in captivity, 5-10 years in the wild. Special Adaptations: Males have an elaborate courtship dance where they throw back their heads, almost touching their tail!

So, the answer to our question 'are redheads going extinct? ' is no. Redheads are less common and blue-eyed-left-handed-redheads are particularly rare, but they're not endangered and they won't die out due to that MC1R recessive gene.

Research has shown that people with red hair perceive pain differently than others. 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.

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.

Do redheads have higher intelligence?

Blondes had an average IQ of 103.2, compared to 102.7 for those with brown hair, 101.2 for those with red hair and 100.5 for those with black hair. But although the new study has found blondes' IQs were slightly higher than others, the results were so close researchers have called it a draw.

The redhead gene

MC1R is responsible for producing the skin pigment melanin, which redheads can't produce because of the mutation. This same gene is responsible not only for hair and skin color, but also for the midbrain function that determines pain response.

Throughout history, artists from Sandro Botticelli to Dante Gabriel Rossetti have mined the potent symbolism of red hair to alternately suggest promiscuity, sensuality, deviousness, and—above all—otherness for centuries. Redheads are rare, but why should that make them particularly beguiling or innately prurient?

A redhead is a person with red hair. Although sometimes it looks more like orange, “orangehead” isn't a thing. Only about one percent of the entire population is a real redhead. In England, a redhead is “ginger” haired.

But if it is the case that redheads are more sensitive to pain and need more anesthesia, the cause is likely genetic. Researchers theorize that the link is because of a receptor on certain cells that normally lend pigment to people's skin and hair. In red-headed people, this receptor doesn't function properly.

This was followed by a small study published in the journal Anesthesiology, which found that women with red hair required up to 20% more anesthesia to keep them sedated than did women with dark hair.

In northern Europe, it's speculated that the M1CR mutation was brought to the mainland from the Viking raiders of Norway. The greatest concentration of red hair is found in Scotland and Ireland, and the coastal areas where the Vikings settled show the highest number of gingers.

When someone has both of their MC1R genes mutated, this conversion doesn't happen anymore and you get a buildup of pheomelanin, which results in red hair (as well as fair skin and freckles). So, your son may have two mutant MC1R genes, one from you and one from your husband.

What age do redheads go grey?

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).

Since red hair is a recessive trait, the children of two redheaded parents will almost always be redheaded as well. In contrast, if only one parent is redheaded and the other has brown hair, there is a higher chance that the children will display the dominant trait and will have brown hair.

What Causes Redheads to Have Sensitive Skin? 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.

It's also harder to dye red hair. Natural red hair holds its pigment more firmly than other types. So even though its lighter appearance might make you think it would be easier to dye than dark brown hair, red hair needs to be bleached before it can be dyed.

According to a survey of 1,000 men, 54 percent would prefer a brunette as their wife, 16 percent prefer a blond, and 30 percent have no preference. Apparently, redheads were left out of this survey, but don't fret you fiery-maned ladies—it's probably best to be left out of this nonsense.

If you've got red hair, don't bother donating sperm at Cryos International, one of the world's largest sperm banks. "We have nothing against red-haired donors," Cryos agency director Ole Schou told msnbc.com Monday.

To sum all that science up, red heads have a faulty MC1R receptor which doesn't switch on in response to the sun's UV rays. This means the yellow-red pheomelanin in their melanocytes cannot be converted into the brown-black eumelanin which creates a sun tan.

Redheads have a genetic variant of the MC1R gene that causes their melanocytes to primarily produce pheomelanin. However, a study published in 2018 has lead scientists to believe that there many be a number of other genes associated with pheomelanin that controls hair colour.

The three most common hair types for redheads are straight, wavy, and curly.

In the array of possible natural hair colors, dark hues are the most common — more than 90 percent of people worldwide have brown or black hair. That's followed by blonde hair. Red hair, occurring in just 1 to 2 percent of the population, is the least common.

Is being a natural redhead rare?

Less than 2% of the world's population are natural redheads. But in addition to being relatively rare, people with red hair have unique medical concerns.

Despite plenty of debunked “studies” that pop up around the internet every few years, redheads are not going extinct.

The recessive gene that carries red hair has been traced back 50,000 Years when early modern gingers first appeared in the grasslands of Central Asia. Red hair was regarded in classical literature as the epitome of everything barbaric – but only when it comes to men. A redheaded woman is a force of nature.

Strawberry blonde therefore belongs to the red hair group. 'Strawberry blonde is the lightest shade of red hair. Other tones in this color group include mahogany, copper and Irish red. When somebody says they have strawberry blonde hair, they're stating their shade of red.

6. People with red hair are more likely to be left-handed. Recessive traits often happen in pairs so commonly people with the gene for red hair also possess the trait for left-handedness.

Lifespan: up to 20 years in captivity, 5-10 years in the wild. Special Adaptations: Males have an elaborate courtship dance where they throw back their heads, almost touching their tail!

To sum all that science up, red heads have a faulty MC1R receptor which doesn't switch on in response to the sun's UV rays. This means the yellow-red pheomelanin in their melanocytes cannot be converted into the brown-black eumelanin which creates a sun tan.