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How Rare Is Red Hair And Blue Eyes?

• Pieter Maas
• 16.01.2023
• 0
• 20

Are redheads with blue eyes really going extinct? For every 100 people in the world, only one or two will have red hair. And when you meet a red head with blue eyes, you are looking at the rarest colour combination of all for human beings. The odds of having both red hair and blue eyes sits at around 0.17 per cent. Picture: Shutterstock Around 17 per cent of people have blue eyes, and when combined with, the odds of having both traits are around 0.17 per cent. That’s, out of the 7.6 billion on Earth.

• So with numbers this low, could redheads with blue eyes actually go extinct?
• The reason these looks are so unusual is because they are the result of two different sets of DNA instructions, or mutations, happening in the same person, explains Professor Mark Elgar, an evolutionary biologist from the University of Melbourne.
• “The mutations occurred tens of thousands of years ago, and have now become established as different versions or variants of the genes that help determine our skin and eye colour.

“Red hair and blue eyes are both recessive traits which means a person needs to inherit both of the genes for red hair and blue eyes, from both parents. In contrast, brown hair and brown eyes are dominant traits, which is why they are much more prevalent.” In some regions of the world, red heads are more common, making up 10-30 per cent of the population in for example.

1. Blue-eyed people are also more common in the Baltic regions of Northern Europe.
2. There are a number of ways rare traits can be lost from a population,” says Professor Elgar.
3. A common misconception is that when a trait is rare, it could be lost through a dilution effect – the few individuals that carry the gene don’t reproduce, and so it is lost to future generations.

“But although it is recessive, red hair is unlikely to suffer from this effect. Even when we can’t always see red hair, many people still carry the genes. Red hair can range from strawberry blonde to the deepest auburn. Picture: Shutterstock “Another case is where a gene reduces an individual’s chance of reproducing, perhaps by increasing the risk of early mortality, and again, these genes would become rarer over successive generations,” he explains.

What is the rarest redhead?

Rarest kind of redhead 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.

What is the most common eye color for redheads?

8. Blue eyed redheads are super rare – Blue eyes and red hair forms the rarest combo on earth. Most (natural) redheads will have brown eyes, followed by hazel or green shades.

What is the rarest hair color with blue eyes?

Do You Have This Hair and Eye Colour Combo? – Your parents are liars. When they told you as a kid that you were entirely unique and also had the rarest possible hair and eye colour combination in humans, they were misleading you. Green eyes are uncommon, sure, but your deep ash blonde hair doesn’t quite make the cut in terms of rare genetics.

• Here are six foods that improve your eyesight,) The title of rarest hair colour/eye colour combination belongs to red haired folks with blue eyes.
• According to Medical Daily, both the blue eye trait and the red hair trait are recessive, so their likelihood of simultaneous appearance is pretty slim.

Just ask anyone who’s pieced together a Punnett Square, (Discover 13 home remedies for dry and damaged hair,) Red hair alone occurs with a frequency of one to two per cent of the human population, while blue eyes occur in approximately 17 per cent of the human population.

Technically, that would mean 0.17 per cent (or about 13 million people) of the world’s population have red hair and blue eyes. But since several factors play into the likelihood of that combination, that math is difficult to confirm. Either way, the combo is the rarest on the planet, and if you happen to have a red-hair, blue-eyed pal, don’t forget to share the fun fact.

Interested in some more facts about redheads ? Look no further!

How rare is it to have red hair blue eyes and be left handed?

It would be reasonable to assume that roughly 10% of all redheaded blue eyed people are also left handed. So yes, with a world population of 7.34 billion, there are many others who have this combination of traits.

How rare is red hair and green eyes?

– The hair, skin, and eye colors you’re born with are all controlled by your genes. Your parents passed these genes down to you, just as their parents passed down their genetic makeup to them. When it comes to hair and eye color, some genes are more dominant than others.

Yet dominant doesn’t necessarily mean more common. What determines your hair, eye, and skin color is a pigment called melanin. Genes provide the instructions for producing melanin. Your genes determine how much of this pigment you have, and therefore, what color hair and eyes you have. The MCR1 gene dictates whether you have red hair, and it’s recessive.

That means you’d need to inherit copies from both parents to have this color combination. Genes also have variants, known as alleles. At least three different genes control eye color, and there can be more than two alleles for each gene. For example, the MCR1 gene comes in two variants: non-red and red.

• The non-red version is dominant.
• Gey, which is one of the genes that determines eye color, comes in two forms: Green and blue.
• Blue is the dominant allele.
• But that doesn’t tell the whole story.
• Also critical to how common a color combination is within a given population is which alleles are circulating.

For example, alleles of the gene OCA2 determine whether someone has brown or not-brown eyes. In populations where more people have the not-brown OCA2 allele — like in Scandinavia — the allele for light eyes is more common, even though it’s recessive. Light-eyed people pass their genes to their children, who pass them to their children, and that eye color perpetuates.

Do all redheads have blue eyes?

Red Hair And Blue Eyes Is Rare Red hair occurs naturally in one to two percent of the human population, while just 17 percent of the world’s population has blue eyes. The majority of redheads have brown, hazel, or green eyes.

Do redheads age faster?

REDHEADS are significantly less likely to age badly. That’s according to a study conducted by Erasmus University in Rotterdam who discovered the gene that keeps people looking young is the same as the one responsible for red hair and skin. 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. All of the information collected was then fed into an algorithm that helped calculate their “perceived age”. What they found was that those carrying the aforementioned “ginger gene” were frequently attributed with as being younger than they appeared to be.

Commenting on the findings at the time, Dr Manfred Kayser, Professor of Genetic Identification at Erasmus University noted that the study “explains in part why some people look older and others younger for their age.” “Looking young for one’s age has been a desire since time immemorial. The desire is attributable to the belief that appearance reflects health and fecundity,” he added.

The study is the third of its kind to identify a link between the gene and skin aging, including a study of 530 middle-aged women in France. It’s not the first time the genetic benefits of ginger hair have been highlighted, either. Previous research revealed how redheads are able to produce their own Vitamin D, meaning they are significantly less likely to develop conditions like rickets.

Do redheads go grey?

Redhead Day: 9 fun facts about red hair Got red hair? It’s National Love Your Red Hair Day! Happy National Love Your Red Hair Day November 5th is a day to bask in all your ginger glory. The holiday was started by two redheaded sisters who wanted to help other gingers embrace and love their fiery locks. To help celebrate, here are nine fun facts about redheads:

The highest concentration of redheads is in Scotland (13%) followed by Ireland (10%). Worldwide, only 2% of people have red hair.People with red hair are likely more sensitive to pain. This is because the gene mutation (MC1R) that causes red hair is on the same gene linked to pain receptors. It also means redheads usually need more anesthesia for dental and medical procedures.Having red hair isn’t the only thing that makes some redheads unique. They are also more likely to be left handed. 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.Rumor says Hitler banned marriage between redheads. Apparently he thought it would lead to “deviant offspring.”Redheads most commonly have brown eyes. The least common eye color: blue.Bees have been proven to be more attracted to redheads.Being a redheaded man may have health benefits. A study published by the British Journal of Cancer suggested that men with red hair are 54% less likely to develop prostate cancer than their brown and blonde-haired counterparts.Redheads actually have less hair than most other people. On average they only have 90,000 strands of hair while blonds, for example, have 140,000. However, red hair is typically thicker so it still looks just as full.

: Redhead Day: 9 fun facts about red hair

Is red hair becoming more rare?

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

Is strawberry blonde hair rare?

It’s often difficult to tell the difference between red and strawberry blonde hair, In fact, most people confuse the two and say that one is the other without really knowing why. What makes our hair go a deeper red rather than a strawberry blonde color? The pros reveal all.

Red hair, like any other hair color, has many different shades and tones. ‘Red hair can have shades ranging from light strawberry blonde to mahogany colors, but it’s often difficult to tell the difference between the two, unless there are coppery reflections when light hits the hair. Red and strawberry blonde are simply two different shades from the same color palette.’ Strawberry blonde is lighter than red hair.

‘It’s extremely rare for people to have hair that is naturally a strawberry blonde color. Basically, strawberry blonde is mostly based on red tones, with blonde highlights dotted here and there. It takes its name from the Italian renaissance. During this period, women lightened their hair using lemon juice and saffron in combination with the sun’s natural rays of light.’ 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. Blondes might do the same by stating they have ice-blonde hair, for example. Our tip: Red hair is often much thicker than blonde or brunette hair.

To take control of your red hair, use a hair mask for thick hair, You can also try using the Jean Louis David Colour therapy range at home to revive the color of your hair and hydrate it.

Are redheads healthier?

Redheads stand out from the crowd for more than their brightly-hued hair. 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. Here’s what you should know about how DNA associated with red hair may increase your risk for certain health conditions and provide protection against others.

1. For starters, redheads typically have fair complexions and are more susceptible to sunburn and skin cancer,
2. Some people with red hair also experience pain differently, or they can look older than they are.
3. At the same time, redheads are better at manufacturing vitamin D and have a lower prostate cancer risk.

The reason for those differences is rooted in DNA. People with red hair carry two copies of a variant melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene. According to the National Library of Medicine, the MC1R gene is involved in pigmentation and melanin production.

Melanin is a pigment that gives your skin, eyes, and hair their natural colors. It’s no secret that their pale skin makes redheads more susceptible to sunburns and skin cancers. However, some research has found a link between redhead DNA and an increased risk of melanoma, Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that begins in melanocytes, cells that produce melanin.

The MC1R gene determines the amount and types of melanin melanocytes in the skin produce. Those types of melanin include eumelanin and pheomelanin, which make up our skin, eyes, and hair color. Eumelanin is a black-brown pigment in dark hair, skin, and eyes.

1. Pheomelanin is a reddish-yellow pigment responsible for red hair, green eyes, pale skin, and freckles.
2. Redheads have more pheomelanin and less eumelanin.
3. According to a study published in 2015 in the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology, the redheaded variations in the MC1R gene reduce the amount of eumelanin, resulting in fair skin.

Eumelanin protects the skin from ultraviolet (UV) radiation. So, a lack of the pigment leaves skin vulnerable to sun damage that causes melanoma. But keep in mind: non-redheads aren’t off the hook. According to a study published in 2013 in the British Journal of Dermatology, carrying just one copy of the recessive MC1R variant may increase the number of mutations linked to melanoma.

1. It’s another reminder of how important it is to protect yourself from the sun’s harmful UV rays, especially if you’ve got fiery locks.
2. Per the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD), wearing a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher is essential to preventing skin cancer.

Fortunately for redheads, it doesn’t take much sun exposure for their bodies to manufacture a healthy amount of vitamin D, Your body generates vitamin D when the sun’s ultraviolet B (UVB) rays penetrate the top layer of your skin. The UVB rays interact with a protein in your skin (7-dehydrocholesterol, or 7-DHC) and activate a process to convert the protein into vitamin D3.

Per a study published in 2020 in Experimental Dermatology, redheads are more efficient at synthesizing vitamin D. The vitamin is crucial for bone health and may protect against depression and fight off colds, A vitamin D deficiency may be linked to several health conditions, from hair loss to cancer.

Additionally, the researchers speculated that redheads have a genetic advantage in gloomy climates, such as Scotland and Ireland. People with red hair can churn out more vitamin D in low-light conditions than others. People with red hair appear to have altered pain perceptions and sensitivity to pain medicines and anesthesia.

1. But some studies examining that link come to conflicting conclusions.
2. Depending on the research, redheads either feel pain more acutely or have a higher pain tolerance than others.
3. Similarly, studies on pain medicines and anesthesia show redheads need more or less than people with other hair colors.
4. Per a study published in 2015 in the Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, researchers stated that past studies found that people with red hair have a lower pain tolerance and are less receptive to lidocaine than others.

Lidocaine is a local anesthetic that blocks pain receptors in the skin. However, the researchers found no difference in anesthesia requirements between redheads and people with other hair colors. In a randomized controlled trial, the researchers could not find a statistically significant difference in postoperative pain management by hair color.

Though, the researchers found that redheads metabolized anesthesia differently than others. But the researchers said the difference was not clinically significant. The reason why redheads can have altered pain perception and respond differently to pain medication isn’t entirely apparent. But according to a study published in 2021 in Sciences Advances, there may be a link between the MC1R gene and heightened neural activity in the part of the brain controlling some pain sensations.

The researchers also found the MC1R gene altered the production of hormones that enhance pain perception, block pain, and affect opioid receptors. For those reasons, redheads may be more sensitive to opioid pain medicines, like OxyContin and Percocet (oxycodone), and may require lower doses.

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. That wasn’t because redheads had more wrinkles, which you might guess since they’re more prone to sun damage.

The researcher showed the MC1R gene variant correlated to thinning lips, sagging skin along the jawline, and other visible signs of aging. On a positive note: Redheads are less like to develop prostate cancer. A study published in 2013 in the British Journal of Cancer showed that redheads have a significantly lower risk of prostate cancer than those with light brown hair.

1. The study followed more than 20,000 men in a long-term health study.
2. The researchers found less than 1% of redheads were diagnosed with prostate cancer, compared to 40% of men with light brown hair.
3. The precise reason why people with duplicate MC1R gene variants are less likely to develop prostate cancer is unclear.

The researchers guessed that it might be related to redheads’ abilities to make vitamin D. Another study published in 2015 in Clinical Cancer Research found low vitamin D levels may increase the risk of prostate cancer. People with red hair may have an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease.

• A study published in 2015 in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology analyzed rates of Parkinson’s disease among people with different hair colors and found a surprising correlation.
• The lowest rates of Parkinson’s disease were among people with black hair, while redheads had the highest rates.

The researchers observed that rates of Parkinson’s disease increased as hair colors became lighter. Digging deeper into genetic variants, the researchers also found that risk to be even greater among redheads with MC1R variant p.R151C than others. But people with variant p.R160W, also responsible for red hair, do not have a higher risk of Parkinson’s disease.

• According to researchers, redheads may have more sex than people with other hair colors.
• The study was conducted by Werner Habermehl, PhD, and published in the book Das Sexualverhalten der Deutschen,
• Habermehl interviewed German people about their sex lives and found redheads had the most sex.
• However, the study did not differentiate between natural redheads and those with dyed red hair.

So, it’s unclear whether genetic or social factors are behind the supposed phenomenon. Redheads often stand out from the crowd with their fiery-colored hair. But their genetics, namely two copies of the MC1R gene, may put them at a higher or lower risk for many health conditions than others.

What is the most rare skin tone?

What Is the Rarest Skin Color in the World? – The rarest skin color in the world is believed to be the white from albinism, a genetic mutation that causes a lack of melanin production in the human body. Albinism affects 1 in every 3,000 to 20,000 people.

1. People with albinism usually have very pale or colorless skin, hair, and eyes.
2. They are at greater risk for developing vision and hearing problems due to the lack of pigment in their eyes, as well as various skin diseases due to their low levels of protective melanin.
3. Albinos worldwide often face discrimination and prejudice based on their unique appearance as well.

Despite these serious risks however, albinism is still a rare but beautiful variation in human pigmentation that has existed since ancient times.

How long do gingers live?

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!

Are redheads lefties?

– Redheads know their hair color isn’t the only unique characteristic. In fact, redheads have some other rare tendencies. Limited research suggests redheads may be more likely to be left-handed. Like red hair, left-handedness is a recessive trait. In the Western hemisphere, 10 to 15 percent of people use their left hand dominantly.

What is the rarest hair and eye color together?

The rarest hair and eye color combination – What are the rarest hair and eye color combinations? That’d be red hair with blue eyes. There’s a little genetic tweak that makes the combination of red hair and blue eyes the rarest of them all. The same Nature study mentioned above found that another gene variant, HERC2, interacts with both the MC1R gene and the OCA2 gene—and it can shut off the redhead gene while expressing blue eyes and blonde hair.

1. That makes the blue eye and red hair combination even more unlikely to happen.
2. In addition, with both red hair and blue eyes being something akin to recessive traits, having parents that are able to pass on two sets of recessive genes is very unlikely.
3. In most cases, you’d have blue eyes and hair somewhere on the spectrum of blond to brown, or red hair with brown, hazel or green eyes.

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. So if that describes you, you’re most likely one in a million (or more!).

Julie Kaplan, MD, physician at the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Personalized Genetic Healthcare World Atlas : “The World’s Population by Eye Color” World Atlas : “What Percentage of the World’s Population Has Brown Hair?” Nature : “Genome-wide study of hair colour in UK Biobank explains most of the SNP heritability” American Academy of Ophthalmology : “Your Blue Eyes Aren’t Really Blue” University of Melbourne : “Are Redheads with Blue Eyes Really Going Extinct?”

What causes red hair?

What are the genetics behind red hair? – Why do redheads have so much pheomelanin? This abundance has a genetic origin. Melanocyte cells contain a protein called the melanocortin 1 receptor. This protein sits on the surface of melanocyte cells. The code for this protein is on the MC1R gene, The MR1C gene is located on chromosome 16 (Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine via Wikimedia Commons ). The MC1R gene is a recessive gene. Genetically, this means that a few different factors have to come into play for a person to have red hair.

When a gene is recessive, a person must have two copies of the recessive gene in order for the trait to be expressed (or “seen”). Each copy of a gene is called an allele, A recessive allele can be expressed in two ways. If both parents express a trait, then their child will also express it. Did you know? A major study in 2018 suggests there are at least eight other genes that also affect red-headedness.

A person who has an allele for a trait but doesn’t express the trait is called a carrier, If one parent is a carrier and the other parent expresses the trait, there is a 50% chance that their child will express the trait. If both parents are carriers of the recessive allele, then there is a 25% chance that their child will express the trait. Punnett squares showing the potential hair colours of children with parents who do and do not carry the recessive alleles for the trait of red hair (© 2019 Let’s Talk Science). Image – Text Version RR does not carry or express the allele for red hair. Rr carries but does not express the allele for red hair. rr expresses the allele for red hair.

What race has the most redheads?

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.

1. It is most common in individuals homozygous for a recessive allele on chromosome 16 that produces an altered version of the MC1R protein.
2. Red hair varies in hue from a deep burgundy or bright copper, or auburn, to burnt orange or red-orange to strawberry blond,
3. Characterized by high levels of the reddish pigment pheomelanin and relatively low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin, it is associated with fair skin color, lighter eye color, freckles, and sensitivity to ultraviolet light,

Cultural reactions to red hair have been varied. The term “redhead” has been in use since at least 1510.

Do redheads have strong genes?

Redhead basics – As you might have heard, you inherit genetic information from each of your parents. And then you will pass your genetic information to your children. Your genetic information, or DNA, is organized into small pieces called genes, Genes have the instructions to make you who you are, including your hair color! Genes come in different versions, called alleles,

• So let’s imagine that there’s one gene that controls hair color.
• The different alleles of this gene could be “brown hair”, “blonde hair” and “red hair”.
• If you have the brown allele of the gene, you have brown hair.
• If you have the blond allele, you have blonde hair.
• And if you have the red allele, you have red hair.

But it’s not so simple – you don’t only have ONE allele for each gene. You actually have two: one from your mom and one from your dad. They could both be for the same hair color or they might be for two different colors. It may seem obvious that if you have two brown hair alleles you will have brown hair.

But what if you have “brown DNA” plus “blonde DNA”? Or brown plus red, or blonde plus red? It turns out that brown hair DNA is stronger than the other colors. You only need one brown allele to have brown hair. It is a dominant trait. The DNA for blonde or red hair is not as strong as brown. In order to have blonde hair, both of your alleles need to be blonde.

The same is true for red hair. These are recessive traits. The DNA for blonde hair and red hair are about equally strong. People who have DNA for both often have strawberry blonde hair. Putting it all together you get:

Brown DNA + brown DNA = brown hairBrown DNA + red DNA = brown hairBrown DNA + blonde DNA = brown hairBlonde DNA + blonde DNA = blonde hairRed DNA + red DNA = red hairRed DNA + blonde DNA = strawberry blonde hair

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! Since red hair is recessive, you could carry instructions for making red hair hidden in your DNA.

Someone like that is called a carrier for red hair. Since carriers don’t actually have red hair, it’s hard to know if you are one. But if you know you have redheads in your family, it’s quite possible you have hidden redhead DNA! Following this pattern of inheritance, you can have a redheaded child given 3 different scenarios: 1.

Both you and your partner have red hair = 100% chance of having a redheaded child 2. One parent has red hair and the other one doesn’t, but secretly carries the red hair allele = 50% chance of having a redheaded child 3. You and your partner don’t have red hair, but you both carry the red hair allele = 25% chance of having a redheaded child

Why are redheads so sensitive?

The redhead gene – Both parents need to pass along a recessive genetic trait for their child to have red hair. They inherit mutations in the melanocortin 1 receptor, or MC1R, on chromosome 16. MC1R is responsible for producing the skin pigment melanin, which redheads can’t produce because of the mutation.

Who is the most famous redhead?

Other notable redheads – Alongside the celebrities known for their ginger locks listed above, some of our favourite redheads are Amy Adams, Julianne Moore, Jessica Chastain, Geri Halliwell, Maureen O’Hara, Michael Fassbender, Susan Sarandon, Nicola Roberts, Marcia Cross, Damian Lewis, Rita Hayworth, and Bryce Dallas Howard.

Aside from natural redheads, some celebrities who have changed up their hair colours and opted for auburn tresses and copper locks have left us stunned. Although a natural blonde, American actress Julia Roberts wowed with a stunning shade of red in Pretty Woman. Known for her natural blonde shade, Sophie Turner transformed her natural hair colour to suit Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones,

Gigi Hadid took on a gorgeous auburn hair colour in 2021 and while she is often seen with brown hair, actress Emma Roberts has also shown off gorgeous red coloured hair. Australian actress Nicole Kidman has also been known to sport a gorgeous auburn hair colour.

Is Ginger the rarest hair color?

Is ginger a rare hair color? – The term “rare” is somewhat subjective, but in the scheme of all hair colors we’d say it’s definitely less common compared to brunettes, blondes, and rich black. Natural ginger hair color is even rarer—only one to two percent of people worldwide are born with this hair color. Pureology

What’s the rarest natural hair color?

You learn something new every day; what did you learn today? Submit interesting and specific facts about something that you just found out here. – : TIL The rarest natural hair color in the world is red, with only 1-2% of the world population having natural red hair. Second is blond, with 3%, then brown/brunette, with 11%, and finally black with

How rare is it to be born a redhead?

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.

• It is most common in individuals homozygous for a recessive allele on chromosome 16 that produces an altered version of the MC1R protein.
• Red hair varies in hue from a deep burgundy or bright copper, or auburn, to burnt orange or red-orange to strawberry blond,
• Characterized by high levels of the reddish pigment pheomelanin and relatively low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin, it is associated with fair skin color, lighter eye color, freckles, and sensitivity to ultraviolet light,

Cultural reactions to red hair have been varied. The term “redhead” has been in use since at least 1510.