Ginger Love

About Gingers

Red hair is caused by by high levels of pheomelanin, a red pigment and relatively low levels of the eumelanin a darker pigment. Less then 3% of the human population has red hair color and occurs more frequently in north western rueopeans and their descendants. This changes the way the MC1R protein functions. This genetic variant is also associated with sensitivity to ultraviolet light, freckles and fair skin color. There are a number of other unsubstantiated differences including higher pain thresholds from certain types of stimuli.

Genetics

The real genes behind red hair was not discovered until 1997 and was found to be associated with the melanocortien-1 receptor (MC1R). A study found that 80% of redheads had this MC1R gene variant, and the gene is recessive. The alleles for red hair occur close to the alleles that affect pigmentation in skin colour. Even if both parents of a red headed child does not have red hair themselves, both can be carriers of the recessive gene and have a child with full expression of the gene.

Redheads in Europe

Redheads make up 4% of the European population with Scotland with the highest concentration with 13%. Ireland is the second highest with as many as one in 10 people with red, strawberry blond or auburn hair. Some estimates have up to 46% of the Irish population carries the recessive MC14 gene. Red or hair is found in other European populations especially in the Baltic and Nordic countries as well as areas of Belgium, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia, Albania and South Slavic countries.

Redheads in United States

The United States has the largest raw population of red heads. Anywhere from two to six percent of the population is estimated to have red hair which amounts to a population of 6 to 18 million individuals.In the United States. Far more then the approximately 650,000 in Scotland and 420,000 in Ireland combined.

Redheads in Asia

Red hair can be sometimes found among those with Iranian decent such as the Lurs or Pashtuns. The birth rate of red heads is far lower then most areas of the world with Red hair appearing sporadically in Northern India and the Middle east. Darker of mixed tingers of red hair can be found in rare instances on the Island of Hirado, Japan and the South Pacific.