Blue hair does not naturally occur in human hair pigmentation, although the hair of some animals (such as dog coats) is described as blue. Some humans are born with bluish-black hair (also known as "blue black" hair), which is black that has a blue hue under the light.
Sadly, there are no genetic variants for blue hair-at least not at this stage of human evolution. But that doesn't mean there aren't lots of interesting things to learn about your natural hair color!
Hair colour is a good example – we are all born with a certain hair colour (well, many babies are born bald but the hair grows in a certain colour) but of course things like sunlight can change its colour and you can dye it any colour you like. But the hair colour you're born with is entirely dependent on genetics.
Genes Liable to Hair Color
Predominantly, human hair can be of five different colors: black, brown, blond, white/gray, and rarely red.
Because our cells don't produce blue or green pigments. Hair gets its color from cells called melanocytes that produce melanin, just like the melanin produced in your skin.
Red is the rarest hair color, according to Dr. Kaplan, and that's because so few MC1R variants are associated with the shade. “Only three variants are associated with red hair,” she says.
Black hair is the darkest and most common of all human hair colors globally, due to larger populations with this dominant trait. It is a dominant genetic trait, and it is found in people of all backgrounds and ethnicities. Black hair contains a large amount of eumelanin pigmentation, a type of melanin.
If you have two pheomelanin genes, you get the red and red-blonde hair types in different strengths, depending on the functionality of the genes. There aren't any genes that would make something that looks purple ...
It turns out that brown hair is dominant. That means that even if only one of your two alleles is for brown hair, your hair will be brown. The blond allele is recessive, and gets covered up.
No, no one has pink hair at birth. Pink is not a natural color for hair anywhere.
TIL The rarest natural hair color in the world is red, with only 1-2% of the world population having natural red hair. Second is blond, with 3%, then brown/brunette, with 11%, and finally black with… You learn something new every day; what did you learn today?
Yes, natural purple eyes are possible. There are many different shades of blues and greys out there and many in-between colors. Although very rare, some people's natural pigmentation can even be violet or purple in color.
A genetic mutation that codes for the blond hair of Northern Europeans has been identified. The single mutation was found in a long gene sequence called KIT ligand (KITLG) and is present in about one-third of Northern Europeans. People with these genes could have platinum blond, dirty blond or even dark brown hair.
Blonde fact #4: Not all blondes have blue eyes
That's why so many people around the world have black strands and brown eyes. Lighter tint gives rise to lighter coloured eyes, including blue, but also varying tones of green and grey. So, just because you have blonde hair, it doesn't mean that you have blue eyes too.
As the population grows and people have babies, the genes for less melanin will become more common. That makes the link between lighter eyes, hair, and skin tighter. So that's why you see people with blond hair typically have blue eyes!
No. Humans can only produce two types of pigments: eumelanin and pheomelanin. Eumelanin: group of pigments that make dark brown/black hair.
One popular myth is that hair loss in men is passed down from the mother's side of the family while hair loss in women is passed down from the father's side; however, the truth is that the genes for hair loss and hair loss itself are actually passed down from both sides of the family.
People with albinism have a reduced amount of melanin, or no melanin at all. This can affect their colouring and their eyesight. People with albinism often have white or very light blonde hair, although some have brown or ginger hair.
Is Hair Color Inherited from Mother or Father? Hair color comes from both parents through the chromosomes passed onto their child. The 46 chromosomes (23 from each parent) have genes made up of DNA with instructions of what traits a child will inherit. The results can be surprising.
'It's extremely rare for people to have hair that is naturally a strawberry blonde color. Basically, strawberry blonde is mostly based on red tones, with blonde highlights dotted here and there. It takes its name from the Italian renaissance.
Hair type 1A is super-straight. It doesn't even hold a curl! 1A is the rarest hair type. It is usually found on people of Asian descent.
Strawberry blonde therefore belongs to the red hair group.
'Strawberry blonde is the lightest shade of red hair. Other tones in this color group include mahogany, copper and Irish red.
Very dark brown hair, easily mistaken for black hair, can be found occasionally in parts of East Asia.
There are two reasons why we believe African hair texture is genetic. Firstly, the texture is universal in Africans, while nearly absent from other ethnic groups. Secondly, it is consistently passed down to the children in each new generation.
The Most Common Hair Color – Darkest Brown/Black. The darkest brown hair color is often called “natural black hair” and it's the most widespread natural hair color in the world. A whopping 75% to 85% of the world was born with this hair color.