January 2019 in “Figshare” Redheaded people have higher levels of vitamin D precursor, suggesting their hair color may be an adaptation to low sunlight areas.
January 2025 in “Digital Repository (National Repository of Grey Literature)” Red hair is linked to worse health, especially in women.
December 2019 in “bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)” Redheaded people have higher levels of a vitamin D precursor, suggesting red hair may be an adaptation for better vitamin D synthesis in areas with less sunlight.
5 citations
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June 2020 in “Experimental dermatology” Redheaded people may have evolved to efficiently make vitamin D in areas with less sunlight.
5 citations
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February 2012 in “Australasian Journal of Dermatology” Two red-haired men with alopecia areata regrew black hair instead of red.
Fair skin, not red hair, affects health due to possible vitamin D deficiency.
Dark hair with a red beard likely evolved for camouflage, not attraction.
Human hair color is determined by melanin types and genetic factors.
1 citations
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January 2012 in “Human health handbooks” Hair color is determined by melanin types and gene activity.
June 2025 in “Albus Scientia” MC1R gene variations affect skin, hair color, UV sensitivity, and melanoma risk.
2 citations
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March 1942 in “JAMA” June 2025 in “Clinical and Experimental Dermatology” Baricitinib treatment led to dark brown hair regrowth in a red-haired woman with alopecia areata.
18 citations
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April 1989 in “Archives of Dermatology” Iron deficiency can cause hair color changes, which can be reversed with iron supplements.
January 2024 in “Australasian journal of dermatology (Print)” A boy's hair turned red because of genetic mutations, not lack of zinc.
November 2011 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” TRH in hair follicles can influence hair color by increasing melanin.
1 citations
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May 2012 in “Clinical and Experimental Dermatology” Iron can be present in hair color changes without overall iron deficiency.
January 1996 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” June 2025 in “Clinical and Experimental Dermatology” A 76-year-old man's grey hair turned back to its original color after radiotherapy.
15 citations
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June 1993 in “Archives of Dermatology” A 22-year-old's gray hair partially turned back to its original color without known causes.
9 citations
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November 2015 in “JAMA dermatology” A 91-year-old woman's hair turned black in one spot, with skin changes underneath.
17 citations
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October 2010 in “Pigment cell & melanoma research” Human hair color is influenced by complex biochemical processes involving enzymes and reactive oxygen species.
35 citations
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December 2014 in “Lasers in surgery and medicine” Red light promotes hair growth by directly stimulating hair cells and improving cell communication.
March 2026 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” 16 citations
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November 2003 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” Iron therapy cured the boy's hair color issue.
11 citations
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August 1986 in “Archives of Dermatology” Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause skin and hair color changes, which can be reversed with treatment.
44 citations
,
April 1979 in “Journal of Ultrastructure Research”
February 2024 in “bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)” Tandem repeats significantly influence hair color, especially darker shades, across different ancestries.
1 citations
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September 2021 in “Biomedical & Pharmacology Journal” Reticulocyte hemoglobin content is the best indicator of iron deficiency in women with diffuse non-scarring hair loss.
Hair turning darker can be a sign of skin cancer.