14 DAY TRIAL // Blondes have more fun and brunettes are usually seen as more intelligent, these are two of the stereotypes that still stand as regards the color of a woman’s hair. Until just recently, redheads were believed to be the most passionate of the lot but, as it turns out, they’re not just that, as they’re also able to feel more pain than their female counterparts with different hair color, an ABC News report says.
An old wives’ tale has it that redheads usually need more anesthesia when undergoing surgery than people with blonde or dark locks, the aforementioned piece says. Judging by the latest findings, it could very well be that this is not just a myth, as it stands deeply grounded in reality: for some reason or another, redheads are harder to knock out. They are also more sensitive to pain, studies have shown.
“Genetically speaking, redheads are mutants. They may not wear capes or fight crime like the ones we see in comic books but, as a growing body of research shows, they might have special powers. In the past five years, researchers have found that the genetic mutation responsible for redheads’ ruby tresses and snow-white skin also makes them more sensitive to hot and cold – and it could also make them a whole lot harder to numb up.” ABC News says.
Because of this, other studies have shown that redheads usually avoid going to the dentist because their more sensitive nature combined with their tolerance for anesthetics makes the trip a genuine ordeal for them. As Courtney Hutchinson of ABC, a natural redhead, can also vouch from her own experience, undergoing surgery to have her wisdom teeth removed was a nightmare as she woke up halfway through surgery and was about to ruin everything with her ill-fated attempts at speaking and trying to get up from the table.
“Studies have shown that, on average, redhead men and women require 20 percent more anesthesia than their non-ginger peers. A recent study from the Journal of the American Dentistry Association also shows that redheads tend to be more afraid of going to the dentist and are twice as likely to avoid dental care – presumably because their need for more numbing leads to unexpected complications in the dentist’s chair.” the ABC report further explains.