Why is your beard red, even if your hair isn't? A long-time mystery, we’ve got the answer for you.

Seeing red? Chill bro, we got you!

Why is your beard red, even if your hair isn't? A long-time mystery, we’ve got the answer for you. 

If you’re new to beards, you may have noticed that you have some red hairs coming in, even if you’re not a ginger. The hairs on your face, or even just on parts of your face, don’t always match what’s on your head. For some guys, this difference is subtle. But for others, it can be striking. No worries. You’re far from being alone, and it just adds to your unique style!

When it comes to hair colour, no one single gene is dominant over the rest, but rather each gene impacts the others. Red hair specifically has been found to originate in the mutation of the MC1R gene. If you have two of these mutated genes -- lucky you, you’re a redhead! But if you only have one, surprise, some read hair might pop up in unexpected places.

If you have some red hair in your beard, someone in your family tree, at some point, had red hair. And your cousin, who might have some red hair somewhere, never bothered to show you… not that you’d necessarily want him to ;o)

Check your ancestry

It’s impossible to know where exactly those genes came from because, for all you know, it’s your father’s grandmother’s cousin that is making your chin and head mismatch. You inherit hair colour not only from your parents, but from all your ancestry. Hey, you could be a Viking and not even know it! But that’s another story…

Even more intriguing, the same genes can present themselves differently from one person to the next. Meaning there are a lot of possible combinations where hair color differences can show up; including your head, armpits, beard, and, yes, pubes.

So why do so many men have red in their beards? Well, science might be able to explain that someday, but in all likelihood, it’s because you can see the difference a lot more easily than if it shows up in other places.

What are your chances of having red in your beard?

Generally speaking, the world is said to have between 1% and 2% percent red heads -- that’s roughly 70 to 140 million gingers. In UK, the country with the highest percentage of redheads, they make up roughly 10% of the population -  6 million. However, recent research has estimated that the number of red gene carriers could be as high as 20 million in the UK, which is over 3 times more. So, if your complexion is fair don’t be surprised to see red show up in your beard.

Another thing to keep in mind is that your facial hair won’t only contrast with respect to color, but often it will have a different texture than the hair you on your head.

For that, we recommend you give our Brave and Bearded beard balm and oil a try. Their natural ingredients give strength and vitality to the hair, moisturize your beard and skin, and leave it feeling super soft and kissable. Even if you’re not Irish!

Stay brave!