Red hairs in your beard? This is why!

As you grow your beard, you will soon realize that despite your hair color, you will always have a bit of red in the beard. That might not seem like a lot in the beginning, but you most likely want to figure out why these red hairs appear in your beard. It’s a normal reaction because a lot of men believe this is something wrong, but it isn’t!

It really comes down to a variety of factors, it can be inherited, related to your habits or it could even be related to your food intake or vitamins! Below we discuss the most common

The science behind it

One thing to know before you wonder why you have red hair in your beard is that hair color is determined by the pigmentation levels. There are multiple contributing factors, one of them being melanin. You can find 2 melanin types that determine the hair follicle color. You have eumelanin that has black and brown shades. Then there’s pheomelanin and it delivers the yellowish and red hair color.

So Why Do you have red hair in your beard? The combination difference between eumelanin and pheomelanin, usually determines what pigment color will arrive as a result. This is the reason why we have a variety of hair colors over the entire body. You can encounter variance in every follicle, so obviously you will need to assess everything and understand both the pros and cons of the entire experience. It’s a great thing to consider here, and you will soon understand that the red hairs in your beard are random, and they don’t really mean anything.

Genetics can determine hair color transfer. With that being said, those that have blonde hair usually have a higher concentration of pheomelanin, and people with darker hair have a high eumelanin concentration. What that means is that you’re blonde, you are more prone to having red hairs in your beard. However, that is not a rule. As you will notice, many people with darker hair have red hair in their beards. It all comes down to the variance presented above, and that’s a crucial aspect you must take into consideration in a situation like this.

The MC1R gene, also known as the melanocortin 1 receptor is the one that actually generates a protein that affects the melanin levels in your body. The gene is not known for producing any kind of red hair, however. It mostly determines the amount of pheomelanin and eumelanin that you can find in your body when it comes to beards. The latter is usually bringing the dark colors, while the former is bringing the lighter colors. If the gene is mutated, it will generate red hair, but you must have more pheomelanin and less eumelanin.

Where does red hair pigmentation come from?

The important thing to note is that red hair pigmentation comes from a gene mutation called MCIR. If you have 2 of the mutated genes, then you will have red hair everywhere. In case you just have one of the genes, then you will have red hair in random places in your body. That’s what happens when you have red hair in your beard, you have one of these genes and not both of them. The red gene is still lurking there, and you will encounter it in a variety of places all over your body. However, if the red hairs in your beard bother you, it is fairly easy to dye your beard. It’s not hard at all!

When it comes to red beard hair, it has mutated MCIR genes. And around 2% of the population has this specific makeup. It can also be the case that the person in question is dealing with both genetics and some pigmentation. When there’s a lot of pheomelanin, this can contribute to the red hairs appearing randomly all over the body or in your beard.

Genetics will usually resurface, so if your ancestors had these genes, they will be transferred and at some point, someone in the family will have them as well. If you are wondering “why do I have red hair in my beard”, then that means you received these genes from one of your ancestors. There’s still a lot of research to do in this field, but it’s clear that red hairs in your beard are not uncommon, and they usually have a reason why they look like that. Addressing the situation and handling everything appropriately is very important here.

Are there any other reasons for variance?

Yes, you can encounter other reasons too. If you don’t have an adequate care regimen and you’re not using a growth supplement for your beard, then you will have some red hair in your beard as well. But this is mostly caused due to a lack of vitamins. So if you do see red hair in your beard and you know that your beard care is less than ideal, then that means your beard is not nurtured properly. You have to address the issue appropriately, and that means focusing on better beard care, if possible.

Aside from that, you may also be dealing with issues caused by the sun. Sun exposure is known to change the beard color, especially if there’s a lot of exposure in a short amount of time. It might not seem like a lot at first, but addressing the issue can indeed help a lot, and that’s the thing that you want to go for as quickly as possible. Tons of sun exposure will lighten the hair, so you must avoid sun exposure.

Stress and the beard

But there are other things you need to consider here too. Stress and age can also play a role here. If you are very stressed out, it’s common to have different hair colors in your beard. And yes, sometimes these colors can actually be red, gray, or something similar. Addressing that is very important, and in this case, the best thing you can do is to try and eat healthily, focus on a better beard routine, while also nurturing it with beard oil and balm. Even if it might not seem like a lot, some adjustments like these can indeed make a difference, and it’s exactly the thing that you want to go for. That alone makes it a great option, and you will surely appreciate the results.

Is it possible for the red beard to change its color back to brown or black?

This is rarely happening, but the potential of it actually happening is definitely there. With that being said, if you just have a single mutated MC1R gene, you can have the beard-growing dark, it turns red, and eventually, it shifts black to back. There can also be a period of your life where the beard will turn its color as well. These things can happen, but as we said, it’s not something common. If you don’t have your red beard revert back to the original color, you can either dye or shave it, as you see fit.

Conclusion

If you often asked “why do I have red hair in my beard’, then now you should know the answer. It can be from a variety of things, starting with genetics, color variation, and even sun exposure or an improper beard care routine. It’s important to take good care of your beard, and if you still have red hairs in your beard, then it’s clear this is all due to genetics.

It’s important to know why your beard has some red in it, so you can figure out if there’s something you can do. Unless it’s due to genetics, something as simple as improving your beard care routine can solve this issue!