Why Have I Got A Ginger Beard?!

This is a question I have asked myself over and over again; why have I got a ginger beard even though I have jet black hair?!

And now, I finally have the answer; it's all down to our genetics (well durh!).

The MC1R Gene

The gene coding for hair colour is called "incomplete dominant hereditary traits," meaning hair colour isn’t as simple as one gene coding for one colour of hair. The genes can be expressed differently in different areas of your body, like your head, beard, eyebrows or chest. 

Yet it only takes one of the MC1R gene in our DNA for red hair to appear anywhere on our body. So if you have a jet black hair and a ginger beard like me, count yourself lucky!

If you knew how many genes were in the human body, it is quite remarkable to think that a single gene can have such a drastic impact on the appearance of a ginger beard.

Now you know how special you are, embrace your gingerness and stop dying it!