What happens if only one of my parents has MC1R?

While it might not cause you to get red hair or a beard, it might cause you to have red hair in “unwanted” places.

How much eumelanin is there in red hair?

According to some research, red hair can have up to 67 percent of eumelanin, while black hair has 99 percent, and brown and blond hair has 95 percent of the pigment.

What are eumelanin and pheomelanin?

Eumelanin is a brownish-black pigment that is a different form of melanin. Its functions are to protect the epidermis against damage from UV radiations and play a role in the color of your hair.

Pheomelanin is a reddish-yellow sulfur-containing melanin pigment. It plays a major role in people having dark brown or black hair.

Can I increase eumelanin and pheomelanin in my body?

Pheomelanin cannot be increased in your body. As for eumelanin, while you can increase it temporarily, the baseline amount is controlled by your genes.

How common is it to have a red beard?

Some studies show that almost two in five men have red or reddish beards. It’s so common that there’s even a name for it – Gingerbread, which is described by Urban Dictionary as “A dude with brown, black, or blonde hair, who when he grows a beard, it is entirely red, or red in patches.”.

Can I get a red beard when I get older?

According to LiveScience, It is quite possible for people to grow a red beard when they grow older. It’s most common among men in and after their 40s.

Are red beards indicative of something wrong?

Nope. As research by Haak-Bloem tells us, while the red hair gene/genes may have been passed down from your earlier ancestors, there is no health risk to you and is completely normal for most men to have.

To summarize, if you find yourself with brown hair and a red beard, don’t be alarmed – this is very common. Despite dark hair seemingly being the dominant gene in your family, you can thank your distant ancestors for the MC1R gene that comes out in your beard.