Bad news for the ginger-haired out there: according to science, you may look older than your blonde and brunette peers.
According to a new study reported in Current Biology, the gene that often causes people to have red hair can affect how young people look. The study, performed by scientists with the Erasmus University Medical Centre in the Netherlands and Unilever, found that folks with the MC1R gene — which protects skin against UV rays and affects its pigmentation — often looked two years older than they actually were.
Here's how these results were found: photos of 2,693 makeup-free Dutch European subjects were judged based on how young they look in comparison to how old they are. The scientists then examined each subject's DNA to see which mutations or differences they had in common, in the event one gene could be contributing to the older-looking subjects' appearances.
The results: people with certain forms of MC1R that often cause red hair tend to look two years older than folks whose DNA possesses different variants of the gene. "The exciting part is we actually found the gene, and that we did find the first means we will be able to find more," Professor Manfred Kayser, a genetic biologist at Erasmus, explained to the BBC. "This is a well known phenomenon that so far cannot be explained — why do some people look so much younger?"
While scientists have yet to determine why this gene could potentially make you look older, it's exciting to know we're one step further to figuring out how we can all keep our skin supple and line-free for as long as possible. For now, just keep slathering on that SPF!
[Note: This story was updated for factual corrections.]
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Sam's enthusiasm for makeup is only rivaled by their love of all things relating to cats. In their spare time, they enjoy watching scary movies, putting avocado on everything, and seeing how many shades of the rainbow they can dye their hair before 30.
