This page is about the joys and sorrows of being red. Here are some medical facts about redheads:
Redheads have varying amounts of the pigment pheomelanin, which is responsible for the red coloration, while they lack the brown pigment eumelanin.
The red pigment is caused to occur by the melanocortin 1 receptor gene.
The gene is recessive and may skip generations, although both parents must carry it to produce redheaded offspring.
The cells that produce the red pigment pheomelanin are scattered and uneven, unlike the brown pigment eumelanin, thus redheads don't tan and may have red freckles instead.
Partial redheads (strawberry blonde, auburn) can have some of the pheomelanin red pigment and some of the eumelanin brown pigment. Such people may tan lightly.
Natural redheads have the red coloration in all their hair, including facial and body hair.
Redheads are three times more sensitive than other people to drugs.
Redheads are also more sensitive to pain and are prone to fainting spells.
Redheads require twenty percent more anesthesia than other people.
The skin of a redhead is thinner than the skin of other people (an adaptation to northern, cloudy climates), allowing more Vitamin D absorption from the sun, but also leading to increased sensitivity and fragility, and transparency of the skin. If a redhead gets too much sun (though it may be a normal amount for non-redheads), the sunlight will pentrate the skin too much and actually destroy the vitamin D.
Redheads bleed more profusely than other people when cut.
Redheads feel the cold 10 degrees lower than others.
Redheadedness has been linked to the variant gene that causes susceptibility to skin cancer. Combined with their fair skin, this means redheads have a much greater chance of developing skin cancer from sun exposure.
Red hair is difficult to dye because the hair cuticle is much tighter than in other hair colors.
Here are some historical facts about redheads.
Redheads have existed for approximately 100,000 years.
Cleopatra and Elizabeth I are two famous queens who were redheads.
Between the 15th and 18th centuries there was a genocide against redheads in which they were tortured and killed in witch-hunts, just for being different.
In many cultures redheads have been traditionally viewed as evil supernatural beings, like vampires or demons.
Redheads were often depicted in paintings in the Renaissance, Pre-Raphaelite, and 19th century periods for their unique beauty.
Redheads are found almost exclusively in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
Redheads make up only one percent of the world's population. (We literally are one in a million! :) )
A note on Gingerism: I would just like to state that redheads (or gingers, more accurately) are a real minority group that has suffered cruel, dehumanizing injustice equal to that of any other oppressed minority group.
In some countries it has been worse than in others. Here in the USA, gingers have fared much better than in ancient Greece, medieval Europe, or the modern UK.
I think most 'ginger' kids in all countries have been treated badly though, just as badly as black or asian kids in pre-civil rights days.
I am disgusted that gingers do not even get the acknowledgement of being a real race! We are! Race is a social construct that categorizes people according to stereotypical features.
A Ginger is someone with natural red hair, pale skin, and freckles. Even beyond appearance, gingers share certain biological make-ups (as covered above).
When will people realize that it is wrong to pick on any minority group for being different?!
This is what it could lead to:
MIA, Born Free
It really sickens me that discrimination against gingers isn't even considered 'real' discrimination. Oh, I see...gingers don't even deserve to have their persecution recognized. Isn't that what they said about Jews before WWII?
