I've been getting a lot of comments regarding my red hair recently. I guess people aren't used to seeing us since it occurs naturally in only 1-2% of humans.
Really? It's that rare? What cause red hair in the first place?
Well, typically its caused by having two copies of a recessive allele on one of your chromosomes - 16, I think - which produces altered hair proteins. It's pretty nuts.
That is crazy.... is more common in men or women? Or doesn't it matter?
Europe; it is centered around populations in the British Isles. Redheads today are commonly associated with the Celtic nations.
In Ireland, the percentage of population with red hair is estimated to be at around 10%, making it the world's highest concentrated population of red heads. According to IrelandsDNA, 34.7% of the Irish population carry the allele for red hair, although this doesn't directly translate proportionally into births of red-haired children.
Scotland also has a high percentage with around 6% of the population
valerian) colors.
In science and nature Hair color.
Red hair occurs naturally on approximately 1–2% of the human population. It occurs more frequently (2–6%) in people of northern or western European ancestry, and less frequently in other populations. Red hair appears in people with two copies of a recessive gene on chromosome 16 which causes a mutation in the MC1R protein.
Red hair varies from a deep burgundy through burnt orange to bright copper. It is characterized by high levels of the reddish pigment pheomelanin (