No, they’re not. The only way that would happen is if all the people who carry the recessive gene for red hair died, and that ain’t gonna be happening. Even I carry it, though I don’t have red hair and none of my kids do. They can pass it on to a future generation though.
There is this article on “How Stuff Works” about the “extinction” of redheads that was PM’d to me from someone on a message board I frequent. It had come up in a thread on the board.
In a nutshell, as long as there are people who carry the red hair gene, there will be redheads. Yes, redheads are unusual, because both parents have to have the gene in order to have a redheaded child. And, the gene is recessive, so it just may seem that redheads are few and far between.
I do wonder about the theory that redheads go grey faster than people with other (natural) colors of hair. If it’s true that they do, then some redheads are in for a big shock.
But grey hair is another topic for another day.
I had a redheaded friend years ago who could tell a natural redhead from a bottle redhead just by looking. It was funny hearing her go “fake…fake…fake…oooh a real one, yesssss!”
Go on, read the article.
That’s all from where I sit.
–MorelaterZ–
My first physical experience was with a redhead. I’ve been mezmerized by them ever since.
I am a redhead (my hair is the same shade as Fergie’s) and both of my kids have light brown hair like their dad.
As far as going gray, I have heard that redheads really don’t go gray… it just gets lighter and lighter and takes on more of a blond hue. My redheaded grandfather died at the age of 96 and he did not have gray hair…. very light strawberry blond instead. As for me, my hair has only gotten a little darker over the years. I’m almost 40 and have no signs of gray.
Jack,
Mesmerized huh? Awesome!
As a Radiant Redhead myself, we can TOTALLY spot head on the fake ones. As a child I was teased, so I try to make it a special point to go over to young redhead girls and tell them how beautiful their hair is and that one day, maybe not now, but one day, they are going to LOVE it. Mary