• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Ginger/Red Hair or other?

Do you have Red, Ginger or Other Hair Colour?

  • Red

  • Ginger

  • Other


Results are only viewable after voting.

ChrisD

Senior Member
Messages
472
Location
East Sussex
Quite a simple poll but I am quite intrigued by the fact that I am coming across many fellow ME sufferers with Ginger/Red hair (I have fair ginger hair), and it makes me wonder whether there is anything in that genetically?

I know that there is a gene in red-headed people that makes them more sensitive to pain, but maybe there is also a gene correlation that relates to other symptoms like fatigue.

Sorry I don't have the energy to make a really compelling post about this but I believe it is fairly interesting...
 

ukxmrv

Senior Member
Messages
4,413
Location
London
When I attended a support group meeting of ME patients in the 1980's there were noticeably more young red, ginger and blond people there. No idea why. It just stuck in my mind.

I tried a count at a Invest in ME conference about 5 years ago but it was hard to do due to the ages of the people there.
 

jesse's mom

Senior Member
Messages
6,795
Location
Alabama USA
I answered other because as a child I had blonde/gold hair. It got darker as i got older, but always tended to be a golden colour. I a m75% grey haired now. I DO think I have the dreaded "redhead gene". I have a very Irish body type with a large boned upper body.
 

ebethc

Senior Member
Messages
1,901
Quite a simple poll but I am quite intrigued by the fact that I am coming across many fellow ME sufferers with Ginger/Red hair (I have fair ginger hair), and it makes me wonder whether there is anything in that genetically?

I know that there is a gene in red-headed people that makes them more sensitive to pain, but maybe there is also a gene correlation that relates to other symptoms like fatigue.

Sorry I don't have the energy to make a really compelling post about this but I believe it is fairly interesting...

FWIW, I have ginger hair, and my biological sister & mother have dark brown hair... Their symptoms overlap w mine ~90-95% ... also, no gingers/redheads on either side of the family!
 
Messages
88
I have dark blonde hair as does my brother, nana and 2 of my cousins who all have MECFS. However red hair does run in my family (great grandma and cousin have it, so both sides of the family).

Also we are 50% Irish if that means anything. From one Ive seen though MECFS affects people of all races....
 

alex3619

Senior Member
Messages
13,810
Location
Logan, Queensland, Australia
This arose in discussion some years back, due mostly to ancestry. There are parts of Europe in which red hair is more common that appear to have more ME cases. Its hard to be sure though. I do not recall the details of that discussion, but it was on this forum.
 

Rufous McKinney

Senior Member
Messages
13,216
many fellow ME sufferers with Ginger/Red hair

Why did it take me so long to find this? I had wanted to do a poll, and VOILA: you've done one already (did anyone answer). Of course anyone her will know that these are informal polls, not DATA, not statistically valid.

I am a strawberry blonde red head with freckles and the Genetic Condition: Yin Deficiency...per my Chinese Tradional Medicine practitioner. I have red headed grandparents going back 1000 plus years. So I know that we have "special genes" which contribute to our "special" condition, but I will also assume there are other routes to get to: our fun Little Ditty, ME.

So I take herbs to work on this Yin Deficiency and they help tremendously. Its a tool. When I go a few days, things revert, back I go again.

Red head involves recessive alleles, so you must get them from both parents. There are multiple alleles involved and it affects hair, skin. Some genes are "linked" ie live nearby, other genes....so when red hair was selected for in the north, our skin better at getting Vitamine d: other genes tagged along for the ride.

So genetics is complicated but I"m convinced a portion of this gene pool : tend to be OVERHEATED (as they say in Chinese). I await the real STUDIES somebody better be doing.
 

Rufous McKinney

Senior Member
Messages
13,216
I DO think I have the dreaded "redhead gene"

Dreaded? (teasing)

1) . Scanning the room will not work, too many dye-jobs. Hollywood red heads aren't red heads, and until you've been called Pippy Longstockings in Graduate School, you;'ve not lived. And we already know the boys are tormented. Thanks, South Park.

2) I know enough about these genetics to be dangerous (disclaimer) (have biology degrees, slightly qualified)

3) I actually do not know the definition ginger used here. My head contains at least four kinds of red hair, and I therefore am convinced that there are also numerous types of red heads. My Grandparents from Lynchberg VA: one was the sandy fine straight strawberry blonde, the other the deep intense red with waves. And nobody is Irish!

4) My red headed grandmother had 11 children, produced only one, very marginal red head: I got the hair, rather famously. None of the many other cousins are red heads. My mom, brother, dad are brunettes. Brother has similar skin. So again, there are quite a few genes involved.

5) I know blondes who have red headed skin and test positive for: Dreaded genes.