Turns out there is an urban legend amongst dentists that redheads need more anesthesia not to feel pain. The researches decided to see if there is any basis and the conclusion is that redheads indeed feel more pain. There is a NYT Bogs post – The Pain of Being a Redhead:
“Researchers believe redheads are more sensitive to pain because of a mutation in a gene that affects hair color. In people with brown, black and blond hair, the gene, for the melanocortin-1 receptor, produces melanin. But a mutation in the MC1R gene results in the production of a substance called pheomelanin that results in red hair and fair skin.
The MC1R gene belongs to a family of receptors that include pain receptors in the brain, and as a result, a mutation in the gene appears to influence the body’s sensitivity to pain.”
The article is not clear but one is to assume that this mutation is only in females? If readheads feel more pain shouldn’t they by definition feel more pleasure? I guess another urban legend is true as well…
via mindhacks
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