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.
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.
5 citations
,
February 2012 in “Australasian Journal of Dermatology” Two red-haired men with alopecia areata regrew black hair instead of red.
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.
January 2024 in “Australasian journal of dermatology (Print)” A boy's hair turned red because of genetic mutations, not lack of zinc.
8 citations
,
May 2003 in “Clinical and Experimental Dermatology” A 14-year-old girl's black hair showed unique color changes, suggesting early greying.
June 2025 in “Clinical and Experimental Dermatology” Baricitinib treatment led to dark brown hair regrowth in a red-haired woman with alopecia areata.
1 citations
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January 2013 in “International Journal of Trichology” A girl with red hair developed hair-pulling and body image disorders after being bullied for her hair color.
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.
18 citations
,
April 1989 in “Archives of Dermatology” Iron deficiency can cause hair color changes, which can be reversed with iron supplements.
9 citations
,
November 2015 in “JAMA dermatology” A 91-year-old woman's hair turned black in one spot, with skin changes underneath.
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.
November 2011 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” TRH in hair follicles can influence hair color by increasing melanin.
June 2025 in “Clinical and Experimental Dermatology” A 76-year-old man's grey hair turned back to its original color after radiotherapy.
2 citations
,
March 1942 in “JAMA” 94 citations
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April 2018 in “Nature Genetics” New genetic locations explain much of hair color variation in Europeans.
2 citations
,
August 2002 in “PubMed” 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.
47 citations
,
January 2013 in “Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology” Premature graying of hair may suggest health issues and currently lacks effective treatments.
24 citations
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January 2023 in “Cancer Research” AMPK activation may reduce melanoma risk in red-haired individuals.
11 citations
,
August 1986 in “Archives of Dermatology” Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause skin and hair color changes, which can be reversed with treatment.
January 1996 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”
Hair turning darker can be a sign of skin cancer.
March 2026 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”