By, Samantha Stambaugh – Shippensburg, PA
Only 2% of the world has the recessive gene that produces red hair. However, many people bully red heads.
Here are some less commonly known facts about the people who boast this unique colored hair.
- 1-2% of humans or 2/100 people in the world have red hair
- Red is the most rare hair color in humans.
- Red hair doesn’t gray as much as other hair colors, it initially turns blonde and then white.
- Red headed women bruise easier.
- People with red hair have twice the risk of developing Parkinson ’s disease.
- Ancient Greeks believed that red heads would turn into vampires after death.
- During the middle ages, a child with red hair was thought to be conceived during “unclean sex” or during menstruation.
- During the witch hunts of the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe, many women were burned at the stake as witches because of their hair color.
- Hitler banned the marriage of redheads in order to prevent “deviant offspring”.
- Mark Twain said “while the rest of the human race are descended from monkeys, redheads derive from cats”.
- Red hair is a recessive trait, which means that a child must inherit one red hair gene from each parent.
- Redheads are more likely to be left handed.
- “Gingerphobia” is a fear of redheads.
- “Gingerism” is the bullying or prejudice of redheads.
- Bush fire, carrot top, burning bush, cherry, cheeto crotch, copper kettle, Dorito head, fireball, firebush, fire-crotch, ginger, little red, orange, red, pumpkin, freckleface, pippi longstocking, Ronald mcdonald, red snapper, strawberry shortcake, red-headed step-child,
Red Head Celebrities
- Red head celebrities: Katharine Hepburn, Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Molly Ringwald, Julia Roberts, Ginger Spice, Kate Winslet, Lindsay Lohan, Emma Stone, Lana Del Rey, Danny Bonaduce, Ron Howard, Rupert Grint, Bobby Flay, Conan O’Brein, Seth Green, Prince Harry, Ewan McGregor.
- Red heads are also in children’s movies: Annie, the Little Mermaid, Brave, Harry Potter, The Breakfast Club, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Enchanted, Peter Pan, The Parent Trap, Anne of Green Gables, Harry Potter