Allegedly.
The Journal of American Dental Association has published studies that suggest that redheads may be more sensitive to pain -- specifically, oral pain -- than their dark-haired counterparts. As CNN reports:
"Researchers believe variants of the melanocortin-1 receptor gene play a role. This MC1R gene produces melanin, which gives skin, hair and eyes their color.
While blond, brown and black-haired people produce melanin, those with red hair have a mutation of this receptor. It produces a different coloring called pheomelanin, which results in freckles, fair skin and ginger hair. About 5 percent of whites are estimated to have these characteristics.
While the relationship between MC1R and pain sensitivity is not entirely understood, researchers have found MC1R receptors in the brain and some of them are known to influence pain sensitivity."
Wait, maaaaaaaybe the link is this MC1R? And only redheads have this sensitivity problem? Well, if the pheomelanin produces the hair and skin characteristics linked to sensitivity, what about people like me? My hair is definitely dark, but I have plenty of freckles in the summer and my skin is so fair that I get burned without at least an SPF 30 coated twice. So, does that make me more susceptible to the pain at the dentist than most? But -- but -- I'm not a redhead!
And "the relationship between MC1R and pain sensitivity is not entirely understood," which means this is just a guess.
My guess is that within the study they performed, there happened to be a high percentage of redheads that complained a lot. After all, there were some dark-haired people in the control group who were just as sensitive to the pain.
So, what's my uneducated, unauthorized opinion? Redheads are NOT more sensitive than I am to dental pain; they just complain a lot, like this article.
Dude, you have red roots.
ReplyDeleteLook at Jenny. In the summer, when she lifeguarded, her hair was red, brown, blond, and green. She had colour-change IN ACTION!
Redheads are less than 1% of the population. If it's 5% of whites, I would assume those who have freckles and fair skin may also have it, but as red hair is recessive, you got stuck with brown hair.
You also have blue eyes. That also is a recessive trait that shows you lack the usual amount of melanin. And I notice those with blue eyes tend to have more freckles than anyone else.
I think it is just summed up that the Irish are whiny because they wanted their own state.