They say life is more painful for redheads. Well now there’s a group of scientists trying to prove that this is actually the case.
Redheads certainly don’t have it easy in life. Firstly, they get called a multitude of names on a daily basis and then they have to put up constant jokes like “what does a shoe have that a redhead doesn’t… a soul”. Then to add salt to the wound, sperm banks won’t even accept their… ahem, ‘product’.
Now there’s a new scientific investigation, which aims to prove that redheads are more sensitive to pain than the rest of us. If the findings are positive then you might want to think twice before poking fun at the next ginger redhead you see.
Researchers at Southampton University Hospital are currently testing redheaded volunteers aged over 30 to see if they have a reduced pain threshold, compared to blondes or brunettes. The trial sees the researchers giving the volunteers anaesthetic and small electric shocks on the thigh. The test will attempt to prove that redheads feel ‘more pain’.
The trial is expected to last until sometime in September, but there has already been some progress on the topic.
A study published in the US back in 2002 found that female redheads needed a 19 per cent stronger painkiller than women with dark hair to stop them flinching during a mini-shock test.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom for our red headed friends. According to the Daily Mail, redheads can handle eating hotter spicier foods better than the rest of us. The Lord giveth… and all that.
