Five Facts About Redheads
I love being ginger and having red hair. It’s taken me a long time to get to this point and having spent my teenage years highlighting my hair I now know there is nothing I would rather be than just true to my roots – with naturally red hair. So I thought it would be fun to share some facts about redheads that you may or may not know.
Only 2% of the population have natural red hair. There are so very few of us and I am so glad that I passed the ginger gene down to LP, making sure that our ginger hair streak carries on for another generation. But, although we are pretty rare it also makes us pretty special – being different is definitely a positive thing.
Redheads apparently have a higher pain threshold and I remember watching an episode of Brainiac where they tried to prove this. But, my midwives for both of the children’s births expected me to feel the pain a lot more than women without red hair in labour but I got through on just a couple of canisters of gas and air. I’m not sure whether I have a higher pain threshold or just manage pain well. It’s definitely food for thought.
40% of British people carry the recessive ginger gene which means that lots of unexpected redhead children are born all the time. Our nephew has ginger hair with parents who both have dark hair – and his hair is beautiful! I love that if two dark haired people had a baby and it came out ginger it would be a talking point but if two dark haired people had a blonde baby it probably wouldn’t even be mentioned.
It’s definitely true that people with red hair bruise more easily. I am always covered in bruises – every little bump bruises my arms and legs and when I go to give blood it looks like I’ve been in a fight! I remember through school always having bruises up my legs and so it’s definitely something I have always suffered from – no doubt because I’m ginger!
Red hair and blue eyes is the rarest combination in the world. With just 2% of the population having red hair and those people having any eye colour, it’s nice to know that myself and LP are in the minority – a rare thing indeed!
But, it often doesn’t feel that I am a minority. LP has other redhead friends at school, there are other redhead parents on the school run and I know some pretty awesome redhead bloggers too – Hannah, Steph, Beth – and we are all pretty special indeed. Rare and special – and being ginger is just one little part of who we are.
Ahh love this post! Rock that rareity lovelies!
We are rare and super special! I love being ginger but like you took way too long to embrace it.
It’s definitely cooler now than it was when I was younger. I am sad I don’t have any ginger babies though š
Being a redhead is cool and unusual. I unfortunately haven’t passed the redhead gene to my daughter who has blonde hair and blue eyes. My eyes are dark brown so don’t have the redhair blue eyes combo!
Really fascinating post x
I don’t understand why there is such a stigma about being a redhead, 2 of my niece’s are and both use colour to hide it, on a female it is especially attractive, my husband has a thing for Nicole Kidman, but he always insists that she is a strawberry blonde!
You are one of my favourite beautiful redheads in the world š I didn’t know any of these facts, how awesome! x x
LOVE this as my husband and kids are both red heads and proud. Infact I was a red head when I was younger, but over the years it has changed to a dull brown. Katie is also in the minority having red hair and blue eyes, and yes she bruises quite easily. Funny about the pain threshold as I think my son hardly feels pain, or certainly never shows that he is suffering. Redheads ROCK x
Gaaaah am I the only one offended with being called Ginger, ummm Iām NOT a spice, although my temper can be, damn it Iām a redhead.
Speaking of pain threshold I birthed 2 babies the first in 4 hours 2nd in 3.5, no drugs. I had brain surgery 6.5 years ago during which I lightened and could hear my doctor and his scrub nurse discussing his OR playlist, prior to entering the theatre, my anesthetist said she was thankful admitting noted I was a redhead she was already prepped with additional sleepy juice.