Why is facial hair red

In fact the difference in colour of hair, or even the eyes and skin, has a term: heterochromia. And in case you were wondering, hair on certain parts of the body is often darker than scalp hair, according to Dr Varol.

In humans, our most darkly pigmented hairs are usually the eyelashes," Dr Varol said. Prominent actors, athletes and even a few ABC journalists have been sporting ginger beards with pride. Far from being ashamed, Mr Fay said positive comments from others had helped him get over any embarrassment. But with redheads making up only 1 to 2 per cent of the global population, it's an increasingly rare blessing.

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. News Ticker Breaking news A US judge has ended the conservatorship that has controlled pop star Britney Spears's life and money since Why are some non-redheads blessed — or burdened — with resplendent ginger beards?

Key points: For a child to inherit red hair both of their parents must carry the gene Redheads make up only 1 to 2 per cent of the population Colour difference between scalp and beard hair is not unusual. Posted 16 Jan 16 Jan Wed 16 Jan at pm. Hell, you can even win awards for having one.

But if you're in the process of growing your own at the moment, you might have noticed that the hair on your chin doesn't always match up with what's on your head. In other words, the same gene is behaving differently in different parts of the body and that's probably because there's just a single mutation of the MC1R gene, rather than a double mutation — meaning that the person is effectively a carrier of the redhead gene.

The phenomenon also occurs in some men as they age — usually as they pass their 40th birthday, which is probably because the pigment-producing cells in scalp hair and beard hair age at different rates, Jablonski said. Originally published on Live Science. Live Science.

See all comments 0. Most Read Stories Most Read. Advert The trait can also be passed through several generations, popping up unexpectedly. Hair colour is determined by two different pigments - eumelanin black and pheomelanin red.