DavidWolfe.comIf you haven’t noticed, beards are in. Beards, man buns – it seems that men everywhere are embracing their natural hair. There are black beards, grey beards and even red beards! Have you ever noticed a blonde or brunette guy with red in his beard? It turns out there’s a good reason for that unexpected pop of color!
You don’t need to be a redhead to have a red beard. Lots of men with brown or blonde hair end up with a red hue in their beard. It might be a few highlighting strands, or it could end up being a completely red beard! And it’s all thanks to a funny genetic quirk.
Here’s Where Red Beards Come From!
We often associate red hair with someone who has ancestors from Ireland, or other areas where red hair is common. In order to have red hair, you need two copies of the gene that produces it. One gene comes from mom and other one comes from dad!
But to have a red beard, you only need one copy! If mom or dad carry the gene, a guy can easily end up with some red hair in his beard.
Seeing a guy with brown or blonde hair and a red beard might surprise you, but a closer look might help you understand. Chances are, he has a parent or grandparent with red hair! The gene can be passed down without being expressed on both sides.
Petra Haak-Bloem is a specialist at a Dutch national information center for genetics. She explained, “It’s entirely possible that one distant ancestor had a hair color that suddenly appears again through a certain combination of genes – and that can be quite unexpected for parents.”
If the source of the red beard isn’t apparent, it could turn into a fun project! It could be the perfect time to sit down and take a close look at your man’s family tree. You might find out that he has ancestors from a far off land. It could be the perfect reason to plan a trip! If nothing else, you’ll have fun and learn something along the way.
Check out the video below for more info on the red beard phenomenon!
GQ
Motherboard
Business Insider