Not all redheads are pale. There are afro-caribbean red-heads, but ginger hair is usually associated with pale skin, freckles, and pale eye colours i.e. blue or green.

Red hair and pale skin often go hand-in-hand, but have you ever wondered why this is the case? Redheads are a unique group of people, and their distinctive features are a result of genetic factors that affect their hair and skin pigmentation. In this post, we’ll explore why redheads tend to have pale skin.

How is skin colour determined?

First, it’s important to understand how skin colour is determined. Skin colour is largely determined by the amount and type of melanin present in the skin. Melanin is a pigment that is produced by specialised cells called melanocytes, which are located in the skin’s outermost layer. The more melanin present in the skin, the darker the skin colour will be.

There are two types of melanin: eumelanin and pheomelanin

There are two types of melanin: eumelanin, which is brown or black, and pheomelanin, which is red or yellow. Redheads have a genetic variation that affects the type of melanin produced by their melanocytes. Instead of producing a lot of eumelanin, they produce more pheomelanin, which results in red hair and pale skin. pheomelanin doesn’t provide as much protection against the sun’s harmful UV rays as eumelanin does. This means that redheads are more susceptible to sunburn and skin damage.

Is pale skin useful in low light conditions?

As discussed, the pale skin of most redheads is due to a lower melanin concentration, and this is thought to be an advantage in lower light conditions so enough vitamin D can be produced when there isn’t much sun. This is one of the reasons why many redheads live in northern Europe such as Scotland and Ireland, as they are well suited to this climate. Additionally, redheads tend to have fewer melanocytes in their skin compared to people with darker skin. This means that even when their skin produces melanin, there is less of it overall, resulting in a lighter skin tone. The combination of low melanocyte count and high pheomelanin production is what gives redheads their unique combination of red hair and pale skin, and why they find it difficult to tan.

How is Vitamin D produced in the body?

Vitamin D is produced by the action of sunlight on skin. When skin is exposed, 7-dehydrocholesterol absorbs its UVB light. Our bodies convert that into vitamin D3. People with naturally ginger red hair have a greater ability to create their own vitamin D when they go outside.Their bodies produces more vitamin D in a shorter amount of time than people with other hair colours, giving them an evolutionary advantage to live in low light conditions, as low levels of vitamin D can lead to ailments such as rickets, diabetes, arthritis and a much reduced immune response. 

Conclusion

Redheads tend to have pale skin because they produce more pheomelanin than eumelanin, which provides less protection against the sun’s harmful UV rays. This unique combination of genetic factors gives redheads their distinctive appearance, but it also means that they need to take extra care to protect their skin from sun damage. It’s important to note that not all redheads have pale skin, and not all people with pale skin are redheads. Skin colour is influenced by a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors, and there is a wide range of variation in human skin colour.

And don’t forget to check out other articles in our ginger red hair facts category.