FALLING FAR FROM THE TREE
My favorite sister was a redhead, and we have several others in the family. My beard used to be red before its current white color. Here’s some information I found about redheads.
It doesn’t matter where in the world you go; odds are you will come across someone with red hair. While it’s a rare trait, it stands out in such a way that you notice it anywhere.
This might be one of the reasons there are so many different beliefs out there concerning red hair, such as what actually causes it and some of the characteristics associated with it. But many of those “facts” are nothing more than myths—and you’re about to find that the truth is even more surprising.
Redheads are more sensitive to temperature changes. This fact has to do with their ability to detect changes in temperature a bit better than others. According to a study that was done in 2005 by a pretty reputable university, redheads might have a gene that allows them to detect changes in temperature before others. The same gene that causes red hair is thought to “over-activate” the gene that detects temperature changes.
Redheads can handle more pain than others. This urban legend definitely doesn’t sound like something you’d expect to be true, but it turns out that the science actually backs up what people say about redheads and pain tolerance. People with red hair actually have a higher pain tolerance on average than others. At least, that’s what the studies have shown over the years. These studies looked at pain associated with stabbing, shocks and sharp pains to determine whether redheads could handle more.
Red hair allows some to create their own vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential, and most of us get it from hanging out in the sun. However, because there are a lot of redheads in northern European countries (we’re looking at you, Ireland) that don’t get as much sun as others, their bodies have become better at synthesizing what vitamin D they do get. This has all kinds of health benefits, including a lower risk of diseases such as diabetes and arthritis.
Redheads are only about 2 percent of the population. You might’ve never actually thought about it before, but how rare is it actually to have red hair? It turns out that if you’re talking about the U.S., it’s extremely rare. Only about two percent of the population in the U.S. has red hair, and that estimate is probably a bit on the high end. Of course, this number varies by country. In places like Ireland, that number is closer to 10 percent.
Redheads need more anesthesia than others. There’s another fact on this list that has to do with redheads and their ability to tolerate more pain than the average person. This also means that they need higher dosages of painkillers and sedatives. Doctors are also usually advised to give them around 20 percent more anesthesia than they would normally administer to the average patient. That’s a pretty large percentage bump, especially for something as strong as anesthesia.
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