9 Unique Traits That Make Redheads So Special

Redheads used to be somewhat mysterious and attracted people’s attention. In the Middle Ages, they were considered to be witches or vampires, and sometimes society treated them cruelly. But fortunately, these times are long gone, and now we can enjoy people with this beautiful hair color. But hair color isn’t the only distinguishing feature that redheads have.

We at Bright Side grew curious and found it interesting to learn what else distinguishes ginger people from others. And some of the facts we found were really surprising! That being said, we invite you to learn about these things and never forget to tell your redhead friends how special they are.

1. They’re technical “mutants.”

The MC1R gene is responsible for one’s skin and hair color. When it’s inactivated or blocked, the body begins to produce more melanin that is responsible for more reddish tones. This “ginger gene” also affects freckles on redheads.

2. They can produce vitamin D.

Since they can’t absorb enough vitamin D due to their lower melanin-concentration, redheads developed the ability to better synthesize this nutrient when exposed to scarce light conditions.

3. Redhead men have health benefits.

Redhead men are less likely to develop prostate cancer — research showed that redheads are more than 50% less likely to develop the illness than men who aren’t redheads.

4. They perceive pain differently than others.

Redheads also are more susceptible to pain since their bodies have a hard time processing analgesics, they usually require more anesthetics, which explains their fear of dentists.

5. They have less hair.

Hair density can be different due to the strand structure and thickness — even though the average head has approximately 100,000 hairs, research has found that blondes have the greatest hair density, while redheads are characterized by the lowest.

6. Britain is home to the most redheads.

Most redheads live in Ireland and Scotland. Up to 20%-30% percent of the population respectively has this beautiful hair color. Although, there’s still an assumption that redheads get their genes somewhere from southwestern Norway.

7. They’re sensitive to cold.

The same MC1R gene may over-activate a temperature-detecting gene. So redheads may feel colder than people with different hair colors.

8. They have special celebration days.

Many countries celebrate redhead days. In Germany, it’s in September, in the Netherlands, it’s in August; and in Italy, it’s in May. The date and duration of each celebration may vary but it’s still a holiday and an opportunity to congratulate all our redheaded friends.

9. They’re rare.

Most importantly, the number of people with such unique features is very small. Redheads are rare and make up just 1% to 2% of the total population, which translates to 70-140 million people.

Do you agree that redheads are great? Do you wish you had red hair? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.