While there may be a few unique facts about redheads, an important one to know concerns the link between red hair and cancer, which is genetic. Redheads typically have fair complexions and are more susceptible to sunburn andskin cancer.
Beyond red hair and skin cancer, other links have been found between this specific hair color and physical health. Redheads may be at increased risk for Parkinson's disease but also have better vitamin D production. Read on to learn more.
Pale skin, which often accompanies having red hair, makes redheads more susceptible to skin cancers. Some research has also found a link between redhead DNA and an increased risk of melanoma—a type of skin cancer that begins in melanocytes, cells that produce melanin.
People with red hair carry two copies of a variant melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene. The MC1R gene determines the amount and types of melanin melanocytes in the skin produce. Those types of melanin make up skin, eye, and hair color and include:
- Eumelanin: A black-brown pigment in dark hair, skin, and eyes
- Pheomelanin: A reddish-yellow pigment responsible for red hair, green eyes, pale skin, and freckles
Redheads have more pheomelanin and less eumelanin. The redheaded variations in the MC1R gene reduce the amount of eumelanin, resulting in fair skin. Eumelanin protects the skin from ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and a lack of the pigment leaves skin vulnerable to sun damage that causes melanoma.
Other Cancers Associated With Red Hair
Some researchers identified associations between red hair and additional types of cancer. One study found that people with red hair were more prone to the following cancers:
- Cervical cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- Ovarian cancer
The researchers also found a significant relationship between women with red hair and cancer occurrence. For men, the relationship was more significant for age rather than hair color.
What Are the Health Risks of Red Hair?
Additional links exist between red hair and physical health beyond cancer. Associations have included Parkinson's disease, other skin conditions, and vitamin D production.
Parkinson's Disease
People with red hair may have an increased risk of Parkinson's disease. One studyanalyzed rates of Parkinson's disease among people with different hair colors and found a surprising correlation.
The lowest rates of Parkinson's disease were among people with black hair, while redheads had the highest rates. The researchers observed that rates of Parkinson's disease increased as hair colors became lighter.
Digging deeper into genetic variants, the researchers also found that the risk of Parkinson's disease is even greater among redheads with MC1R variant p.R151C than among others. People with variant p.R160W, also responsible for red hair, did not have a higher risk of Parkinson's disease.
Skin-Related Conditions
Besides skin cancer, sunburn can be a problem for individuals with red hair. The increased sunburn risk is also due to the levels of pheomelanin and eumelanin in the skin.
In addition, some evidence has suggested redheaded adults often appear older than their actual age. For example, one study found that adults who carry two copies of the MC1R gene variant are more likely to look two years older than other people their age. The researchers showed that the MC1R gene variant correlated to thinning lips, sagging skin along the jawline, and other visible signs of aging.
Vitamin D Production
Your body generates vitamin D when the sun's ultraviolet B (UVB) rays penetrate the top layer of your skin. The UVB rays interact with a protein in your skin (7-dehydrocholesterol, or 7-DHC) and activate a process to convert the protein into vitamin D3. One study determined that redheads are more efficient at synthesizing vitamin D—one of the benefits of having red hair.
Vitamin D is crucial for bone health, may protect against depression, andmay assist your immune system when you have a cold. A vitamin D deficiency may be linked to several health conditions, from hair loss to cancer.
In addition, the researchers speculated that redheads have a genetic advantage in gloomy climates, such as Scotland and Ireland. People with red hair can produce more vitamin D in low-light conditions than others.
Genetics, namely two copies of the MC1R gene, can put people with red hair at a higher risk of skin cancer. They may also be at a higher risk of developing colorectal, ovarian, or cervical cancers.
Redheads may also be at increased risk for Parkinson's disease, sunburn, and aging-related skin changes. However, having red hair can also be beneficial—redheads typically produce vitamin D better than other individuals with a different hair color.
