Redhead Rumor

Commenting on Like The New Look, DMZ asked if redheads were going extinct.

Simple answer: No.

Complicating factor: Google auto-complete drop downs.

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I ran across this poster of actress Alyson Hannigan (below) while researching DMZ's disappearing hair color question:



And in looking for the poster's source, I found a posting of the original publicity photo from which the poster was created. But the Google search for "redheads" produced a drop-down list of suggestions including "redheads going extinct."

Something doesn't have to be true to be included in the suggestions, just present on the internet, and previously captured & indexed by Google's own search robot computer program.

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In 2005, a news release suggesting a scientific basis for redhead extinction was circulated and published in many reputable publications and sites, including the Seattle Times.

The release cited research by the "Oxford Hair Foundation," which is really a partnership between Oxford Dermatology and the Proctor & Gamble Corporation’s Hair Research division. Proctor & Gamble are manufacturers of the Clairol & Wella brands of hair coloring products. Their best selling color? Red.

Real red hair occurs most frequently (up to 13%) in Scotland and Ireland, and most often worldwide among people with some Celtic ancestry.

It results from both parents (regardless of their own hair color) having the recessive gene that causes red hair. If non redheads do, there's a 25% chance any one of their offspring will be a redhead, and a 50% chance the redhead gene will be passed along in the bloodline of their non redheaded children, waiting to emerge in future generations.

Having one redheaded parent and a second carrier increases the odds of redheaded offspring to 50% and 100% of carrying the gene.

Having one redheaded parent and a second without the gene means none of the kids will be redheaded and odds of carrying the gene are reduced to 50%.

Having two redheaded parents ensures the same in their children.

So genetically speaking, the trait may hide awhile, but not die off.

An article at Hairfinder explains the same rumor has surfaced regarding natural blondes, and that it was previously debunked.

Why is red the most popular die color? Read more.