Red is the rarest of natural hair colors, accounting for less than two percent of the world’s total population. Aside from sticking out in a crowd, redheads also oftentimes have a heightened skin sensitivity to light, but do they also process pain differently?

A few different studies have explored the idea that redheads experience pain differently than others, and we take a closer look at those studies in today’s blog.

Redheads And Pain

Red hair is caused by a genetic mutation in the gene MC1R. This gene leads to the production of a brown-black melanin pigment called eumelanin, and the more eumelanin created by this gene, the darker and blacker your hair. Because of this genetic mutation, redheads cannot produce eumelanin, which results in the dominant pigment being the red-toned pheomelanin. These pigments don’t just impact a person’s hair – they also play a role in eye color and skin tone, which is why redheads also tend to have blue or green eyes and fairer skin tone. But could this genetic mutation also impact how redheads process pain?

The theory isn’t without some merit, as the MC1R gene is also responsible for the midbrain function that regulates our pain response. A few different studies have sought to see if redheads to experience pain differently than those with other colored hair, but the research has produced some mixed results.

First, there was a study involving female redheads conducted by researchers at the University of Louisville in 2004. In that study, researchers found that redheads required nearly 20 percent more inhaled anesthesia for sedation compared to women with darker hair. They also found that lidocaine injections were less effective in redheads, perhaps suggesting that they experience a greater pain tolerance to local anesthetics than darker haired individuals.

A study conducted a year earlier found different results. In that study conducted by a team of researchers at McGill University in Montreal, they found that female redheads required less morphine to dull pain than non-redheads. Additionally, redhead women needed less of a particular opioid for labor-pain than women with darker hair.

So what does all of that say about redheads and pain? Although the research is limited, it’s possible that redheads are both more tolerant to local anesthetics but more sensitive to painkillers like opioids. Either way, there is no significant evidence that suggests that redheads are worse off with a chronic pain condition than anyone else with different colored hair.

At the end of the day, we want to help you overcome your pain condition no matter your hair color or any other unrelated factor. We just want to help you find a solution to your new or chronic pain issue. For more information on how we work to help you achieve this relief, or to talk with a specialist about your individual pain issue, reach out to Dr. Cohn’s office today at (952) 738-4580.