National Red Head Day UK Launch

We've teamed up with Redhead pioneers and sisters Adrienne and Stephanie Vendetti, Co-founders of "How to Be a Redhead," to launch and promote National Redhead Day in the UK. National Redhead Day was first launched in the US on November the 5th by the Vendetti's back in 2015.

With the United Kingdom boasting the biggest population of redheads in the world -  25% of all Brits sport auburn, ginger and other red shades - we thought it was time we helped promote and support our native redheads by bringing the national holiday to the UK.

Leaders of the Redhead Hair Extension Revolution

Back in 2012, Cliphair launched the first redhead range of hair extensions. To this day, they remain the leading seller of red hair extensions, with 10 stunning shades in their bestselling collections. Check out some video footage from our Redhead Campaign photo shoots below.

UK Red Head Population Map

Scotland: Home of the Redheads 

Only 2% of the global population are redheads, yet Scotland have the world's largest percentage of redheads. Over 13% (roughly half a million) of all Scottish people have red hair, with Wales and Ireland making up a further 10%. 4% of the English population are Redheads, an estimated 2.1 million people! Considering only 2% of the entire world’s population has red hair, the British Isles are proudly waving the red flag for redheads everywhere.

It's a Gene Thing

The secret that makes redheads so unique and special is their genetics. Most redheads have had parents with two copies of a recessive gene - on chromosome 16 - which causes a mutation in the MC1R protein. Even if neither of your parents has this gene you can be lucky enough to be born with red hair. If this wasn't confusing enough, the gene can also skip generations.

There is a 1 in 2 chance a child could be born with red hair even if just one of their parents is a redhead. Although rarer, it is also possible to be a natural redhead if you’re person of colour, although there are very few redheads in Africa and Asia as opposed to Northern Europe.

The biggest redhead genetic heartland is unsurprisingly in the south-east of Scotland. Edinburgh is the undeniable epi-centre with 4 in 10 people (or 37%) carrying one of the 3 most common red hair genes. 

Ireland also has a high percentage of red hair genes with 35% of people believed to carry them. A staggering 1 in 3 Brits are red hair gene carriers, which means  their children and grandchildren could be redheads even if they aren't themselves. 

Top Redhead Facts

• Redheads with Blue Eyes are incredibly rare (just 0.17% of all people in the world)
• Most redheads have brown eyes or hazel or green shades
• Bewitched - redheads were once considered to be witches. Over 45,000 were believed to have been killed between 1483 and 1784 on the charge of practicing black magic
• The global redhead population is estimated at between 70 – 140 million! 
• Red hair is believed to be inherited from the Neanderthals, who were displaced by homosapiens more than 20,000 years ago 
• People with red hair are more likely to be left-handed!
• The high number of redheads in the UK can be explained by the British climate; specifically the heavy cloud cover experienced throughout the year. We rely on sunshine to make vitamin D in our skin and if you have very dark skin, it's harder to make that vitamin D 
• Being pale, redheads are more efficient at making vitamin D and don't require as much sunlight
• Redheads are more sensitive to hot and cold pain, meaning they change temperature easier!

How is red hair different from other hair?

“Statistically, Redheads are very different. Redheads actually have less hair than most other people! On average they only have 90,000 strands of hair while blondes, for example, have 140,000. However, red hair is typically thicker, so it still looks just as full. And we can’t forget the colour itself. It’s the rarest colour on the planet (if you’re natural)!”  - Adrienne Vendetti

The above was taken from our interview with Adrienne and Stephanie from How To Be A Redhead, to find out their hair and beauty tips and advice for redheads read their full interview here.

You might be interested in just some of our redhead content:

The Best Makeup for Redheads: Our Top Product Picks

The Best Makeup for Redheads: Our Top Product Picks

How to be a Redhead – Q&A Session with Adrienne and Stephanie Vendetti 

Follow us on our socials below: #RedsHaveMoreFun & #Cliphairredheads