Numerous studies have suggested that redheads feel more pain. And now a new study from Southampton University Hospital is looking to confirm the theory. The trial includes people with red hair over the age of 30. Researchers are comparing their reactions to tiny electric shocks with those of people with brown or black hair. The trial is set to end in September.
In 2009, a study in the Journal of the American Dentistry Association showed that redheads experience more trepidation at going to the dentist. Past research has suggested that redheads generally require more anesthesia than people of other hair colors.
Red hair is the result of a variant of a gene that plays a key role in human hair and skin colour. This same gene is involved in the production of endorphins, the body’s natural painkiller, and could influence pain thresholds, according to other research.
A Danish study published earlier this month found that redheads are more susceptible to the cold and more likely to suffer from toothaches. But there was some good news – the researchers also found that they were less sensitive to certain skin pains and could handle eating hot food better than people with different hair colours.
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