The bumper sticker said it all: “This car stops for all blonds, but it will back up for a red head.”
From the red-gold hair of Elizabeth I of England to the strawberry blonde of Nicole Kidman, the distinctive auburn of Rita Hayworth, the subtle red/brunette fusion of Susan Sarandon or the “golden apricot” (a fire-red copper) that was Lucille Ball’s trademark until her death, a mass of red hair always merits comment. Part of this attention comes from its rarity.
As a natural occurrence, red hair appears in only about two of every 100 people. It is the product of a recessive trait; that means it only appears if both parents offer the gene to the child they produce. But being recessive does not mean absent. Recessive genes are always part of the gene pool though they are overwhelmed by dominant genes whenever those are present. There are lots of recessive traits that show themselves everywhere. Blue eyes are recessive, but two brown-eyed parents can have a blue-eyed child if they each carry a blue recessive gene and pass it on in the great genetic lottery.
Type O blood is recessive. If you have a type A or B gene in the baby’s genetic mix they will display that blood type, not O. Yet type O is the most common blood type. Why? Because type O is our ancestral blood type, while A and B are more recent mutations. They have not had enough time to spread through the human gene pool though they are dominant. But that doesn’t mean type O blood will ever disappear. It will always be there, waiting to meet another type O gene and produce a type O child. That is a good thing, because type O blood is a universal donor. It can be given to anyone regardless of their blood type, as long as the Rh factor is the same. Type O+ can be given to 80% of all humans, and O- to all humans.
Red hair is like type O blood in that it is a relic of our prehistoric past. Both genetic examination and mummified remains prove that red hair was found on Neanderthals, as were the fair skin and blue eyes that frequently ride along with the gene for red hair. The “Beauty of Loulan,” a mummy from northern China, has red hair, as do depictions of ancient rulers on pottery and murals. The trait that bequeaths red hair is the same one that suppresses melanin, the chemical that darkens skin, hair and eyes. That lack of darker skin would have been an asset to prehistoric people working their way to colder, darker, wetter latitudes where sunlight (needed for the development of vitamin D) was limited. People who had less melanin were a little bit healthier, lived a little bit longer, and produced a few more children who all looked just like them. Welcome to the nickel tour of evolution.
While the British Isles and Australia (filled with British immigrants) have high populations of “gingers,” the tide of DNA seems to wash over the entire earth. Natives of Morocco and Jamaica have high numbers of redheads. There are lots of genes that produce dark skin and eyes, but the gene for red hair seems to be singular and can exist all by itself. Red hair, from that which simply hints at russet tones to the strawberry glow in blond, from a fiery copper that shows itself in hair, eyelashes and brows to the lightest warmth on otherwise brown hair, is a natural condition throughout mankind
Of late, there have been some marginally fraudulent or ridiculously biased groups that have tried to assert that red hair is becoming extinct. It is not. It was here before recorded history and it is genetically impossible for it to disappear. Red hair is the 2% gift that nature gives all of us who like the sight of a redhead. My mother had naturally auburn hair and wore it magnificently. She did not pass it on to me.
You may wonder why I persist in my Nordic blond hair when I could easily dye it red. The reason is simple: It has been my experience that red hair is part of a genetic package. If you don’t have the skin and eyes to go with it, you can never carry it off the way you should. If it isn’t yours naturally, that car may slow down, but it will never back up.
Take pride in who you are and keep the faith.
Louise Butler is a retired educator and published author who lives in Edinburg. She writes for our Board of Contributors.
