Your hair color and texture are determined by your genetics. The pigments that give hair its color are produced by cells called melanocytes. The type and amount of melanin they produce is controlled by multiple genes. Over the centuries, different hair color and texture variations have become concentrated in certain geographic regions and populations. As a result, your hair characteristics can provide clues about your ancestral origins.
Hair Color Gene Variants
There are two main types of melanin that determine someone’s hair color:
- Eumelanin – Produces brown and black pigments
- Pheomelanin – Produces red and blond pigments
The amounts and types produced are controlled by several key genes:
- MC1R – Influences pheomelanin production. Certain variants produce more pheomelanin, leading to red hair.
- OCA2 and SLC45A2 – Help produce eumelanin. Variants can result in less eumelanin production and blond hair.
- IRF4 – Regulates melanin production. Variants are linked to lighter hair colors.
Different populations around the world have different frequencies of these hair color gene variants. As a result, the distribution of hair colors across global populations provides clues about an individual’s ancestry.
Blond Hair and Northern European Ancestry
Blond hair is overwhelmingly associated with Northern European ancestry. This is because two key gene variants are found at high frequency in European populations:
- A variant in OCA2 that can reduce eumelanin production, leading to less brown pigment.
- A variant in SLC45A2 that also results in lower eumelanin levels.
The combination of these two variants leads to low levels of brown melanin, resulting in blond hair. Studies have found that anywhere from 70-100% of natural blonds from Northern Europe carry one or two copies of the OCA2 variant. The SLC45A2 variant is also found in 65-80% of blonds.
This correlation is so strong that the presence of blond hair is considered a highly accurate indicator of Northern European ancestry. Populations outside of Northern Europe have very low frequencies of blonde hair, typically less than 2% of the population.
Red Hair and Celtic/Northwestern European Ancestry
Red hair is strongly associated with Celtic and Northwestern European ancestry. The key gene variant responsible is in MC1R. The variant, known as R151C, results in increased pheomelanin production. This creates higher levels of red-yellow pigments.
This MC1R variant is found in over 75% of people with natural red hair from Europe. The highest frequencies are found in populations with Celtic roots, including:
- Scotland – 13% frequency
- Ireland – 10% frequency
- Wales – 6% frequency
Outside of Northwestern Europe, red hair is extremely rare (less than 1% frequency). Finding this MC1R variant can be a good indication of Celtic or Northwestern European ancestry.
Dark Hair and Southern European/Mediterranean Ancestry
Dark brown to black hair is commonly associated with Southern European and Mediterranean ancestry. Populations along the Mediterranean typically had higher levels of eumelanin production, which creates darker pigments.
Some key genetic factors include:
- A lack of blond hair gene variants like those in OCA2 and SLC45A2.
- Higher frequencies of variants in IRF4 that boost total melanin production.
This combination results in predominantly black to dark brown hair coloring. Frequencies up to 80-90% or higher for dark hair can be found in countries like Italy, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, and Algeria.
Having very dark hair thus provides evidence of ancestry from Southern Europe or the Mediterranean region. Lighter brown hair can indicate some Northern European influences.
Black Hair and African Ancestry
Tightly coiled, black hair is a signature trait of Sub-Saharan African ancestry. African hair texture and black coloring are due to several genetic factors:
- Variants in TCHH, TCHHL1, and LCE3B. These alter hair formation and cause a twisted, frizzy texture.
- High eumelanin production from IRF4 variants. This leads to very black pigmentation.
These genotypes lead to the tightly coiled, black hair seen across Africa. Finding these gene variants in an individual provides strong evidence of African ancestry.
However, African hair characteristics can sometimes be masked by mixing with other ancestries. Looser curl patterns and browner coloring can start to emerge when there is European or Asian ancestry mixed in.
Strait Black Hair and Asian Ancestry
Strait, black hair is characteristic of East Asian ancestry. Populations indigenous to East Asia typically have the EDAR variant EDAR V370A:
- This leads to thicker, straighter individual hair fibers.
- It also increases eumelanin production, resulting in very black coloring.
This EDAR mutation arose in Northeast Asia approximately 30,000 years ago. It then spread through population migrations to become a defining trait across East Asia. Finding this variant indicates East Asian ancestry.
However, Indigenous Americans and some Southeast Asian populations also independently evolved thick, black, straight hair. So this hair type alone is not enough to pinpoint specific Asian ancestry.
Wavy or Curly Hair and Mixed Ancestry
Wavy, curly, or loosely coiled hair is often indicative of mixed ancestry from different regions. The blending of genotypes from diverse populations can lead to these intermediate hair textures.
For example, loose curly hair is commonly seen in individuals with mixed European and African ancestry. Variants for tight, coiled hair from Africa combine with variants for straighter hair from Europe. This creates a looser curl or wave pattern.
Wavy hair is also commonly seen in people of mixed Native American and European descent. The straight hair variants from Europe blend with thick, straight indigenous American hair.
So if hair texture appears intermediate between typical patterns from two regions, it generally indicates a mixing of genotypes through recent ancestry.
Rare Hair Colors and Albinism
Some more unusual hair colors like platinum blond or white/grey can indicate genetic conditions like albinism. Albinism is linked to mutations in genes like OCA1, OCA2, TYR, SLC45A2, and SLC24A5 that severely disrupt melanin production and lead to no pigment in the hair.
True platinum blonde hair or white hair early in life are strongly indicative of albinism. This inherited condition prevents normal melanin formation, overriding typical hair color genetics.
Hair Color Changes with Age
It’s also important to note that hair color can change over a lifetime. Melanin production generally decreases with age. By 50 years old, over 50% of people have at least 50% grey hair. As melanin decreases, this causes hair to turn grey or white.
Environmental factors like sun exposure and smoking can also accelerate greying over time. So hair color from someone’s younger years is often the most accurate representation of their natural, genetically-influenced hair pigmentation.
Conclusions
In summary, your natural hair color and texture provide useful clues about your ancestral origins based on genetics:
- Blond – Northern European ancestry likely
- Red – Celtic/Northwestern European ancestry probable
- Dark brown/black – Southern European/Mediterranean ancestry possible
- Very tight, coiled black hair – African ancestry highly likely
- Straight, black hair – Native American or East Asian ancestry possible
- Wavy or loosely curled hair – Mixed ancestry probable
Of course, hair color alone should not be used to definitively determine ancestry. Your overall family history and DNA testing provide much more detailed information. But hair characteristics can provide a good initial indication of the broad regions your ancestors may have called home. With the right context, your locks can unlock some secrets about your roots!
| Hair Color | Associated Ancestry |
|---|---|
| Blond | Northern European |
| Red | Celtic/Northwestern European |
| Dark brown/black | Southern European/Mediterranean |
| Very tight and coiled black | African |
| Straight black | East Asian |
| Wavy or loosely curled | Mixed ancestry |
