I am really pale, with red-ish hair, and was interested in how the red hair gene came to be. However, I came across something in this investigation that was much more interesting. It turns out that having red hair actually has some advantages in terms of someone’s health.

Probably the most advantageous thing that I found about being a red head is that it reduces the likelihood of getting osteoporosis or other bone diseases, as well as rickets. According to the Vitamin D Council, the fairer one is the easier it is to absorb vitamin D. Absorbing vitamin D is important because vitamin D helps to prevent osteoporosis and other bone problems. WebMD reports that when someone is younger they can get rickets, which are a result of having soft bones, and this is more likely to happen when someone does not have the necessary amount of vitamin D. WebMD also states that “Vitamin D deficiency has now been linked to breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease, depression, weight gain, and other maladies”. Vitamin D Council reports that it takes about half the time it takes an individual to start to get pink/burn to absorb all their necessary Vitamin D. The reason for the pale advantage in this situation is because melanin in the skin is more prevalent in people who have darker skin. Melanin protects the skin from UVB, which prevents Vitamin D from entering, according to Vitamin D Council. This also means that people who are paler can get more Vitamin D in winter months when the sun is not as prevalent, because they do not have as much melanin blocking the little sunlight available.

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However, being pale also comes with the obvious issue of having an increased risk for skin cancer. Because it is easier to burn when one is paler, the chances of getting skin cancer rise. These chances can be lessened if a paler person wears sunscreen. The Vitamin D Council reports that sunscreen while sunscreen protects the skin it also blocks more Vitamin D, so it becomes more of a complex situation. If someone were to put sunscreen on only when it was the time that they usually start to burn, this could combat the issue and allow for Vitamin D absorption as well as skin cancer prevention. The only problem is that it can be difficult to know the strength of the sun that day or any other factors that could influence how much time it takes until someone will start to burn.

I wanted to find out if there were other advantages with having red hair. I found more disadvantages than advantages, though. For example, Everyday Health reported that red heads are almost 90% more likely to get Parkinson’s disease. It is not exactly clear why this happens, but because having red hair also means having special genes for this, scientists believe that it is due to a mutation in a gene. Everyday Health says that this gene causes even more problems for red heads. It apparently makes people who have red hair more sensitive to pain in general, including pain caused by hot and cold temperatures.

So, having red hair does mean that you are more likely to get Vitamin D and less likely to have bone problems. This is all good, as long as someone is staying careful in the sun. However, there seems to also be many other disadvantages apparent in people with red hair. Hopefully in time more research will be done on red hair genes that give more knowledge to this situation, but for now what seems to be clear is that if you have red hair, you are faced with certain risks and also some advantages.

Sources:

“How Do I Get the Vitamin D My Body Needs?” Vitamin D Council. Vitamin D Council, n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2014. <http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/how-do-i-get-the-vitamin-d-my-body-needs/>.

DeNoon, Daniel J. “The Truth About Vitamin D: Why You Need Vitamin D.” WebMD. WebMD, 30 Nov. 2010. Web. 18 Sept. 2014. <http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/features/the-truth-about-vitamin-d-why-you-need-vitamin-d>.

Kerns, Katie. “Fiery Facts About Redheads.” Everyday Health. Everyday Health Media, 22 Aug. 2013. Web. 18 Sept. 2014. <http://www.everydayhealth.com/skin-and-beauty-pictures/6-fiery-facts-about-redheads.aspx#05>.