There’s more that sets redheads apart than just their incredible hair colour…

Redheads make up just two percent of the population, but science has revealed that it’s not just their red hair that makes them unique. The specific make up of redheads gives them a number of genetic qualities, some which put them at an advantage over their blonde and brunette counterparts, and others that are a little more unusual…

One Of A Kind

Redhead and author of The Big Redhead Book Erin La Rosa says there are some interesting consequences to having red hair. In her book she writes that a 2003 study by McGill University proved that women with red hair have a 25% higher pain threshold due to rare MC1R mutation that gives them their auburn locks. While this mutation makes them better able to cope better with pain, redheads also feel changes in temperature far more intensely than non-redheads as a result, making the height of summer and the depths of winter less than comfortable. Being Vitamin D deficient is something redheads will never have to worry about – they need much less than the rest of us and can make their own rather efficiently! This is starting to sound a lot like a list of superpowers to us…

Better In Every Way

Not only can redheads resist pain and make their own Vitamin D, but they also smell significantly better than the rest of the population. Greater levels in the acidity of their skin’s surface means that redheads evaporate their scent, natural or otherwise, at a higher and more fragrant potency. Unfortunately, if you’re planning on masquerading as a redhead, it may be harder than you thought. Red is the hardest colour to fake and red hair from a bottle is nearly always distinguishable from the real deal – and you won’t be getting any of these other incredible genetic qualities to go with it (they don’t go grey!)

So for all the nicknames, teasing and sun safety that redheads often have to endure, it looks like they’re the ones having the last laugh.

Are you or your children genetically blessed redheads? Let us know in the comments below!