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Redheads have much more in common than just our red hair, and one thing many redheads report is bruising more easily. This led researchers to conduct a study in 2006. This study focused on Caucasian redheads between the ages of 18 and 40 who had natural red hair.
According to the study, “the red-haired volunteers reported significantly more bruising, but there were no significant differences between the red-haired and dark-haired groups in hemoglobin concentration, platelet numbers, prothrombin time/international normalized ratio, or activated partial thromboplastin time.”
So why do redheads report bruising more easily? Let’s look at a few reasons this might be:
1. Redheads have thinner skin
Redheads are prone to “couperose skin,” which is the presence of more visibly dilated capillaries. This can often lead to sensitive skin, irritation, dryness, redness, and uneven skin. This also means we have less padding in our skin regarding bruising. Redheads often have a heightened sensitivity to pain and may have more reactive skin. This could mean that their blood vessels are more prone to breaking under stress or trauma, resulting in bruising more easily.
Thinner skin provides less cushioning and protection for the blood vessels underneath. When a blood vessel is damaged—say from a bump or impact—it’s easier for blood to leak out and form a bruise. The thinner the skin, the more likely a bruise will form and be visible.
Redheads often have a heightened sensitivity to pain and may have more reactive skin. This could mean that their blood vessels are more prone to breaking under stress or trauma, resulting in bruising more easily.
2. Redheads usually have fair skin tones
The same genetic vacation of the MC1R gene that gives our red hair its pigment also controls skin pigmentation, which is why redheads typically have fair skin. Having lighter skin will make bruises more apparent. So, it might not be that we bruise more quickly, but our bruises are more noticeable.
People with red hair and fair skin often have more visible blood vessels because of their skin’s clarity. This can make bruises appear more prominent and noticeable. Additionally, the skin may have a different amount of connective tissue (such as collagen) to support blood vessels, which could lead to more frequent or pronounced bruising.
3. Redheads feel pain differently
Redheads experience pain differently than other hair colors. While this doesn’t mean we bruise more easily, it may influence our perception of pain when it comes to injuries that cause bruising. This may also cause redheads to have more “unexplained” bruises, as they may not remember something causing them pain when it happened.
While redheads may not bruise more quickly than others, a combination of factors can make us more prone to noticeable bruising. Thinner skin, heightened skin sensitivity, and a lighter skin tone make bruises more visible and prominent. Additionally, the unique pain perception associated with redheads may cause us to overlook minor injuries that could lead to bruising. Ultimately, the visibility of bruises in redheads may be more about how our skin reacts to trauma rather than an inherent difference in how easily we bruise. These factors highlight how our genetic makeup influences our appearance and how we experience and respond to the world around us.
Rock it like a Redhead!
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