One of the biggest mystery’s when it comes to beards, why are there so many guys with ginger beards yet they don’t have red hair? Many dark-haired guys have full red beards, and it all comes down to your genes that determine the color of the beard. With facial hair more widely accepted in the workplace than ever, it is becoming more obvious when a guy has a full brown head of hair yet is sporting a red beard.
This article will help expose the reasons behind the mystery of the ginger beards!
It’s All in the Genes
To really get a better understanding of why some guys have a rich, red, flowing beard, we need to look closer at your genes. Many people believe that your genes determine your hair color, and this is true but more complicated that first thought.
The genes that will determine the color of hair are incomplete dominant hereditary traits, meaning one gene doesn’t determine hair color, all of them influence one another. The same genes might express themselves differently for one person to another, and one trait is the color of the hair on your head can differ from your facial hair.
The Mystery of the Ginger Beards
The shade of your hair color is determined by the pigments in your hair. Your individual DNA encodes the pigment of the hair color and the amount of that color. In white people, there are two distinct pigments, black and red. Dark haired people have black pigment, blondes have less black pigment, and redheads have only red pigments.
So then why do some dark haired people have the red pigment in their beards? Scientists discovered only recently that there is one specific gene, MC1R, that plays a huge role in the development of the red hair. It only takes one of the mutated MC1R genes in your body for red hair to appear on different parts of the body.
The Luck of the Draw
So to put it in the most basic terms, guys who have a thick flowing head of chestnut brown hair and sport cool ginger beards are just lucky. It only takes a single mutated gene to cause the red hair to appear in the beard, allowing less black pigment and more red to appear in the facial hair.
If you knew how many genes were in the human body, it is quite remarkable to think that a single gene can have such a drastic impact on the appearance of a ginger beard. The good thing is that this gene is not dangerous, life-threatening, and actually gives you the ability to really stand out in a crowd.
If you happen to be one of the guys who has the ability to grow red facial hair, definitely embrace your individuality. Not only is a red beard a head turner, it can really add some mystery to your persona. People will do a double-take when they see your dark hair and reddish beard, and it will certainly give you a look that not too many men are sporting today.
Do you have a ginger beard? Share your experience and comment on your beard with us in the comments bellow.
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