Red!
Red hair (also referred to as
titian) varies from a deep orange-red through burnt orange to
bright copper. It is characterized by high levels of the reddish
pigment pheomelanin and relatively low levels of the dark pigment
eumelanin. People with red hair are often referred to as redheads.
Approximately 1% to 2% of the human population has red hair.
It occurs more frequently (between 2% and 6% of the population)
in northern and western Europeans, and their descendants, and
at lower frequencies throughout other parts of Europe, Asia
and Africa. Red hair appears in people with two copies of a
recessive gene on chromosome 16 which causes a change in the
MC1R protein. It is associated with fair skin colour, freckles,
and sensitivity to ultraviolet light, as the mutated MC1R protein
is found in the skin and eyes instead of the darker melanin.
Cultural reactions have varied from ridicule to admiration;
many common stereotypes exist regarding redheads and they are
often portrayed as the “fiery-tempered redhead”.
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