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We’re here for a PSA: parents don’t have to be redheads for their kids to have vibrant red locks!
Red hair genetics are fascinating which is why we frequently cover it in posts such as “The MC1R gene: what is it?“, “Would you dig deep to know more about your redhead genetics?” and “Is it possible to have red hair gene if you’re not born with it?”
One of our most popular articles titled, “IG Influencer Sets Example: Redhead Kids Don’t Always Have Redhead Parents“. In the article, Jessica Enslow, an influencer, has redheaded children and her and her husband are brunettes. Her IG and TikTok posts are flooded with comments like, “Is the neighbor ginger?”, “You are not the father” and “Wait, but actually how..?” People seem floored that these two non-redhead parents could have redhead kids.
The inheritance of hair color is influenced by multiple genes, not just those possessed by the parents themselves. Even if neither parent has red hair, they may carry recessive genes for red hair, which can be passed down to their children. If both parents carry these recessive genes, there’s a chance their child could inherit red hair, even though it may not be immediately apparent in the parents’ appearances.
Let’s take another example — Taylor Selfridge. She is known for her appearance on shows, Are You The One, Teen Mom, and The Challenge. She welcomed a new addition to her family last year, a baby girl named Maya. And guess what? She’s a redhead. The photos had fans in the comments asking, “Wait! Where did the red hair come from?!”
But Selfridge had one answer…genetics! “It’s called genetics,” Selfridge in an Instagram story. “Sorry if you can’t understand, but I’ll be blocking anyone else that’s rude about her hair. It’s honestly crazy how many ignorant comments I’ve gotten over her damn hair color.”
Selfridge also shared photos of her brother, mother-in-law, and great-grandmother who all had red hair; what people fail to remember is that even though redheads make up only 1-2% of the population, there’s a much larger percentage of people that carry the redhead gene. Red hair comes from a recessive gene and can be carried for generations before it emerges. And, this is for another conversation, but this is exactly why red hair is not going extinct.
Rock it like a Redhead!
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READ: Would You Dig Deep To Know More About Your Redhead Genetic Makeup?
