Why does beard hair turn red

But if you're in the process of growing your own at the moment, you might have noticed that the hair on your chin doesn't always match up with what's on your head.

And for a lot of guys, that difference is marked by a surprising amount of red-hued whiskers. Well, if you're one of those ginger-chinned gents, today brings good news: Science is here to explain the follicular phenomenon. Another factor that can cause this is of course the pigment pheomelanin. Even if it is not the dominant pigment for you, having some of it in your genetic makeup can cause a spotty red hair in your beard.

This is of course true for any stray hair you find on your body that is a different color. It all comes down to your genes, and there is nothing that you can do about it. You are stuck with your beard color as well as the random stray colors that you may or may not have. If you are guy who decides to grow out a beard, you may notice that you have some stray hairs that are a different color. These may be red, brown, blond, and of course grey as you get older. Most beard hair is not a single color, and if you take a look at your own or a buddies, you can see that.

Hi, I am James Woods, the founder of Beardedblade. I have extensive experience working in the men's grooming industry. I have worked in the beard care and shaving industries, so I have first hand experience working with products in those areas.

I also enjoy all things outdoors and topics related to men's lifestyle. I am an avid camper, hiker, biker, and all around outdoor enthusiast. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Beardedblade is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.

Related: Why do men have facial hair but women don't? Perhaps predictably, these red tresses exist because of a genetic mutation. Specifically, a mutation in a gene known as " MC1R ," which controls pigment production in hair cells, among other things such as fair skin, poor tanning ability and pain perception, which may explain why a local anesthetic is less effective for redheads.

Hair color is determined by the ratio of two different pigments; eumelanin is responsible for black tones and pheomelanin causes red ones. People with black or dark brown hair will probably have only eumelanin, or at least it will be the dominant pigment.

Blonds, meanwhile, have less of both types of pigment than their darker-haired and redheaded friends.