8 Redheads actually have less hair than most other people.

On average, redheads 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. Usually, if you only have 90,000 hair follicles, if you have hair loss, it will be very noticeable. But red hair is so thick and looks fuller that the lesser count does not affect the overall look. (1, 2)

9 Redheads feel hot and cold temperatures more severely than others.

In 2005, the University of Louisville studied redheads and discovered this hidden gift and hypothesized that the redhead gene, MC1R, causes the human temperature-detecting gene to become overactivated, This makes redheads more sensitive to thermal extremes and more sensitive to changes in temperatures. They can easily tell the change, which otherwise goes unnoticed. (source)

10 Redheads have a slightly increased bruising rate.

It is indeed sometimes more pain being a redhead. Redheads have a slightly increased bruising rate. Healthy females between 18 to 40 years were studied for the research. They were put through many tests and confirmed that there were an increased number of bruising, but every other factor like hemoglobin content and platelet counts are the same. The researchers have concluded that redheads have hemostasis abnormalities, but they are subtle. (source)

11 Redheads carry a gene variant that doubles their risk of getting Parkinson’s disease compared to people with other hair colors.

The MC1R gene that is responsible for the hair and fair skin also impacts the production of dopamine. The dopamine chemical signal is damaged or decreased in redheads. The same chemical is lost when you have Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is a condition you experience when the levels of neurotransmitter dopamine are falling in your body. Studies thus say redheads have a greater possibility of getting Parkinson’s disease. (source)

12 Redheads have more chances of developing skin cancer.

Redheads are at higher risk of melanoma, a type of skin cancer caused due to excessive UV exposure. Since redheads have the Mc1R-RHS gene mutation, they are more prone to this cancer variant. This particular mutation in the gene reduces the ability of the body to produce enough eumelanin for UV protection which leaves them at an increased risk. (source)

13 Redheads aren’t always fair-skinned.

Media representation makes us believe redheads are only for fair-skinned people, but there are native redheads born in places like Papua New Guinea and Morocco who have darker skin. The Polynesian redheads are called “ehu” in Hawaiian, which means “descendants of fire gods.” Stanford University geneticist Barry Starr mentioned that “Red hair carriers in the Caribbean and Africa are for the most part due to migration or gene flow.” Red hair varies in hue from a deep burgundy or bright copper, or auburn, to burnt orange or red-orange to strawberry blond. (1, 2)

14 Scientists have used birds to understand redheads.

To study how redheads have a higher risk of skin cancer, scientists used birds. They used pheomelanin birds which have red pigmentation in their body for the research. The studies concluded that the pigmentation or the synthesis of pheomelanin that gives the color is also the reason behind the increased risk. The researchers have found the component to be carcinogenic by studying multiple birds for reference.

The exposure of such birds during the Chornobyl disaster has led to a severe decrease in the population. This says a lot about exposure to radiation and increases the scope for deeper study. The red pigment pheomelanin increase in the body, leading to poor protection from radiation. (1, 2)