Do Redheads Feel More Pain?

I have 3 redheaded children and a red headed husband.  I can personally vouch for this being true.  My husband went through his ENTIRE vasectomy with feeling.  The doctor offered to stop half way through, because he didn't believe that my husband could feel it at first, but as he bent the bar above his head to keep from moving, he believed.  He told him to finish, because we couldn't afford the hospital visit and anestesia.  When the nurse came out she was visibly shaken.  I have since heard that redheads have a higher rate of dysgraphia too, but no confirmation.

I can attest and relate to some of the posts of some of my fellow redheads. At age 55 I have had plenty of dental work normal doses of anesthetic does the job.  I have had dentists warn me that redheads are more prone to gum disease I still have all my teeth but focus on taking extra efforts with flossing etc...  Had three surgeries two hernia repairs and one knee micro-surgery by different Doctors all three mentioned that they were amazed how quickly I woke up after surgery.  I do agree with Miss Bliss about alcohol, me being male and experiencing numerous binge drinking bouts with friends I was always the one who suffered the most the next day with horrible hangovers which saved me from becoming an alcoholic!

I KNEW IT! I have red hair. I have never really needed anesthetic for anything, as I have pretty much had no need to visit a doctor in my 44 years.However, as a twelve year old I was cut deeply enough to require stitches and distinctly recall the effectiveness of the anesthetic being, lets say, somewhat less than I would have hoped. As for the vasectomy of 8 years ago (the recall of which still  makes my eyes water), well that just doesn't bear thinking about.

Hi,

Been a red head for 54 years my dentist says I am the only person he knows that falls asleep during a root canal.

Chris

I have red hair and whenever I've gone to the dentist for any work, I've needed twice as much anesthetic. He'll be working away after I've had my full dose of anesthetic, then he'll hit a nerve and I jump through the roof! He gives me more, and it happens again. He can't believe how much he has to use before I feel nothing.

Well, I will put my 2 cents worth in. I am a very freckled, auburn haired, blue eyed woman. I can't handle alcohol.  I need more anesthesia of all kinds, but I can tolerate MORE pain than most.

I have more pain, because I have Lupus, but I know that I "handle" the pain I do have better. I know this because of pain that others feel and describe such as labor pains, gall bladder attacks, shinsplints, broken bones, Charley horses, bladder infections, flu, tattoos in painful spots etc. In all of these cases I handle the pain better than most. So my pain tolerance, as opposed to my alcohol tolerance is pretty good. Pain tolerance (perhaps a mental construct)  and physical sensitivity to pain (a physical trait) , may be very different things. I think that they are. Learning to live with pain, doesn't mean that one doesn't feel it.

Perhaps this is because I live with so much pain and have had to get used to it. Maybe redheads do feel more pain, so they must develop a toughness with it.

When I was younger, I had what was referred to as  "strawberry blond" hair; it is more like a pale gold now.  I never enjoyed being labelled as a "redhead," "carrot top," or "strawberry blond."   My head was never literally red, and my hair was never the color of strawberries or carrots.      

On the subject of pain and medication--read The Highly Sensitive Person by Elain Aron.  As one of the 15-20% of the population who have highly sensitive nervous systems, I usually need less medication than a person whose nervous system is tuned differently.  In the past, I was over-anesthetised during a caesarean, and also by an over-zealous dentist.  Watch out for stereotyping!

There are plenty of highly sensitive people who do not have "red" hair, and  I've met a few people with "red" hair who were quite a bit less senstive than I.  So I'm not sure if there's any correlation.  An over-stimulted highly sensitive person can have a "blow up" or "meltdown," and if the person has "red" hair, it could add to the fiery stereotype.  Humans are complex, and we are too quick to think we know what's going on.

In general, I have a "thinner skin" than 80% of the population, both physically and energetically.  So my sensitivity to anesthesia doesn't mean I'm insensitive to all pain .  Life in gneral in our loud, fast-paced society is over-stimulating to me, so there may be some situations in which I am more sensitive than the majority to certain kinds of pain.   Learning how to protect and speak up for myself became easier after reading Aron's book.

To the person above whose comments label people with "red" hair as using their needs to draw attention to themselves, reading Aron's book may help you understand highly sensitive people.  You may be mis-judging some of them.  Highly sensitive people do not necessarily have a disorder, but may be judged by people like you, for simply stating their needs.  Please strive to see people with "red" hair as Individuals.

I have a red-headed mother, who requires very little anesthesia when she has dental work.  My red-headed daughter, however, had her wisdom teeth removed last year and they could not believe how quickly she metabolized the anesthesia.  Also, the laughing gas had no effect.  She was miserable!

Im a strawberry blonde redhead, I'm only 25 yrs old I have a high pain tolerance except for nerve pain within this last yr I was in a car accident this guy hit me and took out most of my front end of my car! Now I have sometimes moderate to severe nerve pain in my back traveling down my legs.... it drive me crazy hurts keeps me up all night sometimes with really good pain meds I can function better i hate being on pain meds its not my thing at all but w/o I hurt sometimes so bad I can't stand it... I've been excited about these epidurals I have been receiving are slowly taking the edge off.... I hope it gets better..I also can't stand getting a iv im a hard stick they say i get poked about 8 or 10 times then there all sick of me and pull out a ultrasound to find my veins.... but it's kinda weird because I go to the denist doesn't really hurt they say they only use the standard dose. I am a mother of 3 I have too much to live for... I will never give up. I will never give up also trying to finding a way to get rid of this nerve pain in my legs.

I am a redhead. I think I feel more pain than non-redheads. I also think I have learned to be more stoic about it. Throughout my life I have tried not to complain--perhaps because others (non redheads) going through the same thing I was experiencing were not complaining. (I never knew it might be because they were not feeling as much pain as I was.)

I also noticed that when I was young and my parents piled the kids (two redheads, two brunettes) into the station wagon for vacations, the redheads would get car sick more easily than the brunettes and would feel sick from high altitudes (e.g., driving up a mountain in the Rockies) more quickly.

Thank you,

JoAnn Horton, Ithaca, NY

I have red hair, I'll comment accordingly. The issue of pain tolerance for me seems to reflect which part of the body we are referring to. As someone that suffered from multiple episodes of strep throat and a late case of viral meningitis I can state with confidence my pain tolerance was high, waiting weeks before going to the ER / doctor. On the other hand, tissue related to the MCR1 mutation is clearly more sensitive, I'm not sure how this plays out for gum tissue but I have noticed a sensitivity there as well during routine cleanings. Also, a dental hygienist once mentioned she noticed that red haired people are much more sensitive during routine cleanings. So.. 'some' surface tissue is more sensitive in general.

I'm a narural red head...going to the dentist is pure hell, they just cannot numb me , I wake up in the middle of surgery...I've had skin cancer removed twice, I felt the knife and the stitches...the last surgeon told me he had to give me 10 times as much lidocaine, more than any patient ever in his career...I'm disabled with severe chronic pain and eat pain pills like candy..they only last for 2 hours and the pain comes back sharp and intense...I am constantly researching to find a natural source  to relieve this constant pain, there has got to be a way to dull or interupt this constant pain...it just does not feel normal.

I am a natural redhead (ethnic background: German,Russian,Irish & Siberian Eskimo)I have brown eyes, lots of freckles as a child, minimal now,and I think because of the little bit of Eskimo, I tan easily)I have a high tolerance to pain associated with broken bones, but that's where it ends...I am in so much pain now, I sometimes pray for death to come...I fear going to the dentist because they cannot numb me...I feel everything!The doctor who surgically removed basal cell carsinoma on my nose told me he never had a paient who required so much lidocaine...ten times more than any other patient ever...I wake up in the middle of surgeries...I suffer from peripheral neuropathy following 9 years of systemic viremia from reactivation of Cytomegalovirus...I'm in pain 24/7 and if I don't take one 10/325 of Norco every three hours (sometime 2 pills)the sharp, intense, electrical pain is intolerable...I accidentally severed my right ring finger in 1993 which triggered the onset of osteoarthritis in my cervical and lumbar spine/degenerative disc disease/carpal tunnel and have been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Fibromyalgia...now bone-on-bone in my hips and knees(confirmed via x-rays and knee surgery-actual photographs) my ankle and foot pain is constant(unconfirmed, yet I smashed them both in dirt bike accidents when I was younger) I'm an Extensive Metabolizer with genotype *1/*1...I metabolize everything very rapidly...the biggest problem is the Pain Management doctors who only look at how many pills I take a month (only one prescription...Norco, 240/mo, is all I can take because I have multiple food and chemical allergies and have experienced violent adverse reactions to  most all synthetic drugs...Norco is semi-synthetic)  the doctors do not even look at my medical history and think they can evaluate me in less than 15 minutes...it's not fair, they torture me-and once again I'm being pawned off to yet another Pain doctor..And they do nothing to help me heal!

My mother had red hair and was very suseptable to pain....a VERY sensitive person...   I too have red highlights and think that I am more suseptable to pain and also find that the amount of anesthetic needed to neutralize my pain at the dentist is much more than the usual patient...   There have been times when I though my system was 'absorbing' the novacaine...however, I now that that I just needed much more to neutralize the pain...

Like WellnessMom, my hair turned dark auburn from strawberry blond as a child.  I am Scandinavian, Lithuanian, and Polish mix. I've had to have more anesthesia administered during operations on my feet, abdomen, and oral surgeries.

I still awoke as the orthopedist was sewing up the skin of a foot, and a dentist told me after an oral surgery that the anesthetic didn't take the way it should have. During the abdominal surgery they had to give me so much more anesthesia the doctor had trouble bringing me to again.

Talking later with another patient who had similar foot operations, bunionectomies, she told me she had so little postoperative pain she stopped taking the pain meds early. I hated the painmed, hydrocodone, it made me dizzy and nauseated, but even with it the postoperative pain was severe for the first script and a refill.

I'm glad to learn there is a scientific basis now for redheads feeling more pain and anesthesia not taking as well as with most people, and that I'm not just a wimp whose been a victim of bumbling anesthesiologists!

I grew up hating my red hair and fair skin beause I was made fun of because I did not have the tan that the rest of the Florida beach girls had.  I have always been really sensitive to sunlight, loud sounds,heat, cold and medicine.  I have never been able to take birth control because of the extreme side effects.  I gave birth to both of my children without an epidural but that is not to say it was without pain.  At the same time I am petrified of the dentist and go over the top in dental hygiene to avoid any dental work.  I am 40 and have never had a cavity.  I am so glad to see this research and finally know that it isn't all in my head.

My best friend is a natural red head.  I have often heard her say that she hates going to the dentist because the dentists can never give her enough pain killers to deaden her gums.   And also the pain killers wear off fast.  The dentists  always telll her she has a low tolerance to pain.  She says they act  like they think she is lying.  She always insist they give her twice as much as  they normally do.  Recently she had all her upper teeth pulled.   She was put to sleep with  an IV in her arm.   She commented that what they used this time did not wear off fast.  And she was very  glad of that.

I do require additional anesthetic for dental procedures.  Also required more during bunion surgery.  However, had no medication during the birth of children, used Lamaz (sp?) breathing method instead.  

I'm a 48 yo red head, freckles, brown to green eyes, but I do tan.  Mom is Norwegian, Dad dark German.  Not fiery red hair, more like copper colored.  Pain tolerance?  Had several children w/o anesthesia.  I'm not sure if I feel more pain, but I have a very strong will and don't like to complain.  I also take magnesium quite often, and I hear that affects pain tolerance.  I am sensitive to gluten, milk, and artificial colors and flavors make me feel crazy in the head, so my diet is very clean of those things.  Ummm, yes I believe the dentist has to put plenty of anesthesia in there... I tend to bleed more than blondes and brunettes... noted by a nurse...  I have to use less prescription drugs than most people...  I am very attentive and notice details, I have met other red heads with same traits...  so we are mutants.. oh thanks for telling me that....  at least us mutants are smarter than everyone else... ha ha

My daughter has Red Hair and although she gets over an "incident" quickly, She is a bit of a Drama queen when it comes to getting hurt or scraped. She alwyays needs a bandaid!

I am a readhead and fit the profile of avoiding visits to the dentist, but I am not sure if it is because I am more sensitive to pain than others.  I also avoid going to doctors of any kind, and only do so when absolutely necessary (such as when I am in pain!)  This is one of the reasons I am interested in the prevention of illness.

My brother is also a readhead and he did feel a great deal of pain when he had a vasectomy done.  Apparently the doctor was very surprised that he could feel anything at all-- so it may be true that readheads need more anesthesia than others.  

I am also extremely sensitive to alcohol.  If I have more than two drinks, I feel absolutely dreadful the next day.  

Both my sister and I are natural redheads.  She woke up during her hysterctomy and felt the colonoscopy all the way.  She is always telling the doctors about this but they don't seem to believe her.  I think I feel pain easily but tolerate it well.  The dentist has always commented that my anesthetic wears off quickly.  I have had two sugeries and didn't have any trouble, perhaps I had an excellent anestigiologist who understood!

A member of the National Health Federation (www.thenhf.com) since the Sixties, I attended every Seattle, WA, and Portland, OR, NHF health convention/seminar through the Seventies.  In the late Seventies, I was priviledged to talk at length with one of the NHF speakers, a heart specialist, Broda O. Barnes, MD, who serendipidly thereby became an authority on hypothyroidism partly because of his spending several decades worth of summers researching the world reknown, centuries-long-established, authoritative medical journals of the Austrian government (which, over 200 years ago, was established the seat of the world's medical knowledge --a former Queen having mandated all deaths occurring on Austrian soil, whether citizen or foreigner, had to be autopsied to determine not only cause of death but to also further advance medical knowledge).  Dr. Barnes told me those Austrian autopsy records and the discipline of natural consequence during his 30 years of practice had revealed that redheads coming to him diagnosed with heart disease, invariably could be found to have thyroid problems also.   He further told me, if he addressed their hypothyroidism with diet and/or (then available) natural (animal-derived) thyroxin, their heart problems disappeared.  He authored well over 200 medical monographs including "Heart attack rareness in thyroid-treated patients" which, when ignored by peers and U.S. health authorities, he authored the same information (circa late Seventies) in the book, "Hypothyroidism, the Ususpected Illness."   Dr. Barnes also told me there was no worse contributor to the increase in hypothyroidism in the US than the unproved public health theory of water fluoridation.  In the Sixties I lived in the un-fluoridated "control," Kingston, in the Newburgh, NY, "fluoridation experiment," and a few years later my son and I were medically double-blind tested fluoride allergic because "some can be as sensitive to fluorides as others are to penicillin."

I am a redhead.  I have a low tolerance of pain when it comes to, what most people would think was nothing.   I too need more anethesia at the dentist and it takes me longer to numb.  I can also feel the anethesia going into my body.   After I had my son, I needed stitches and felt every stitch, even though the Dr. told me he gave me as many anethesia shots, as stitches.    However, I have a high tolerance of pain when it comes to severe pain.  I've had 3 ruptured ovanian cysts.  It was painful, but I handled them with no pain meds.

I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia.  I was wondering if that was common amoung redheads too.  

We are all red heads.  My husband and I both have high levels of pain tolerance--child bearing, surgeries with usual requirements of anesthesia, regular dental visits with and without anesthesia...  Amongst our six children we have a variety of tolerances to discomfort--from the one we really hope doesn't get whatever is going around because she's a miserable patient to another that remains pleasant regardless of how she feels.

I've also heard that red heads bleed more (with injuries, blood draws, etc.) and have more difficulty with breastfeeding but we don't seem to fit those profiles either.  We do however fit the "firery personality" profile.

I am 73, redhead, red hair everywhere, 180 pounds,  the only health problem I have ever had that was significant is the one given to me at age 19 by the us government, they injected us with some man made spirochetes, that had been developed by the japanese,  then would not give us treatment to see what would happen, i had a heart attack nearly died, was in intensive care quite a while, i got lucky as i "went down" on a troop transport ship, and was put straight into a german civilian hospital at bremerhaven, germany, the german doctors saved my life for certain...this spirochete is still with me,  it goes into rem;ission,  then re emerges and knocks me flat, i have been "down" over a year with this latest attack...

Can we red heads tolerate pain well, you better beleive most of us are able to take a lot of punishment,  can hand it out also.  It has to do with your genetics..My ancestry goes as follows

1/8th American Indian   1/2 finn-swede  the rest Austrian / scotch-irish & whatnot

Those on all sides of my family who drink little or not at all, live around 100 or so   the ones that drink rarely make it past 58 if they do a bit of serious drinking,  we have no cancer in the family, generations of the finn - swede side smoke  so much it is incredible, hasn't seemed to affect them much,  my Finn - Swede great grandmother and grandmother were the most prolific smokers you could find anywhere, Great Grandmother slept with her corncob pipe clenched in her teeth, lived to 93 and had lived a very very hard life...

Both the German and American Doctors told me flat out in 1956, that I would not live to age 40,  still here and they are all long gone...I have erratic heartbeat from those silly spirochetes and had to quit work because of it,  went on disability / heart attacks from overwork, at age 58,  like great grandmother said, "work kills",  I took that advice seriously...I think it is genetic

Well, I haven't really thought about it - I am a redhead in my 70's.  I don't think I'm unusual as far as going to the dentist; in fact, I will usually tell them not to give me freezing unless absolutely  necessary - as don't like the needle.  Have never been told I have needed extra anesthetic so not sure about that.  I do know this that I am very sensitive to any pain medication; i.e. tylenol, aspirin, etc. - not that I would take very often.  An aspirin can almost put me to sleep.  Any medication I have been given seems to almost be too strong and have  had to tell doctors that.  I think I have a fairly high pain tolerance, so don't agree with that - rarely complain about pain (I'm trying to think about that) - wish I could ask my mother what I as like as a child (?)  I hope this will contribute to any research - very interesting.

We have a number of redheads in my extended family. I'm not sure about all of them, but I do know my Grandmother seemed to have an extreme problem with pain as does my sister. My sister does require extra pain meds for procedures. I on the other hand have most dental work done with no anesrhesia, but do require Tylenol with codeine when I have bouts of kiney stones--but use minimal doseages. I'm not sure if I have a higher pain tolerance or possibly redheads just have more difficult time controlling pain.

Yep. Regarding dental work, I screamed in protest as a kid, insisting that it still hurt, until a dentist gave me twice the amount of novicane (sp?). However, I seem to be generally sensitive to drugs. However, here's another side of the coin...I suspect that I am also more sensitive to pleasure.

I am a redhead and proud of it!  It seems that I am the exception, as I do not feel any more pain than most, but I do not like the Dentist (probably have more cavities!!); an aside, following the article on Fluoride and its circulation, have found out that we have no Fluoride in our water, but do have Chlorine - just as dangerous.

Thanks for all the information your organization sends me; also I would like to join the Vitamin D crusade, as I promote take this essential vitamin (steroid) wherever I go.

.

As a redhead, I have been curious about these issues for years; as a Doctor, I have observed traits and have come to anecdotal conclusions.  I agree that pain tolerance and sensitivity to anaesthesia differ in redheads.  I have observed that a much greater percentage of redheads as compared to other hair colours have leaner body types and greater muscle density - it is rare to see overweight and lethargic redheads.  I theorize that redheads have increased metabolic rates than others which affects not only body type but also metabolic breakdown of toxins, including alcohol and anaesthesia.  So, I believe, that it is not so much that redheads require more anaesthetic because they feel more pain but rather that they metabolise and breakdown the chemical faster.  This is why we recover quicker post-surgically, but also often 'wake up' during surgery, needing more anaesthesia.  On a personal note, I have woken up during the middle of dental surgery and have also had procedures done 20 minutes after local freezing during which I will feel everything - generally I just suck it up because I can deal easily with the pain.  I have also broken many bones (mostly fingers and toes) which typically doesn't bother me - I tape them up and keep going without ever taking any pain meds.  My conclusion through years of observation of self and others is that we feel less pain, but require more anaesthesia because we process it quicker.

Perhaps it depends on the individual?  I am a redhead and have always been told by dentist/doctors that I have a very high threshold for pain.  In fact it has sometimes been a problem.  I llved with gallstones/pancreatitis for over 6 months and the doctor said they had not diagnosed it earlier because I was not screaming in pain as most patients would have been.  They treated me for indigestion!

From the many posts it seems that we are truly a dichotomous bunch.  I fall into the high pain tolerance group having had several dental procedures without any anesthetic.  I should say though that the first time a dentist attempted to give me Novocain I still had total feeling 5 or 6 shots later, so I really had no choice.  Since then I've simply declined the shots and have done fine without.  I also had a natural/unmedicated birth with relative ease and have never really needed any prescribed pain medication...which is a good thing because it turns out I have a reaction to most meds.  I am extremely sensitive to the sun (skin and eyes) and do seem to have a relatively high tolerance to alcohol as at 5'4" and 115 lbs. I always seem to be way less affected than my husband after the same number of drinks.  He always said I was a mutant...now we have proof :)

This is really strange to hear so many similar stories! I have red hair and when I went to the dentist for a filling when I was 11 I had no numbness during the whole procedure despite anaesthetic. I repeatedly told him that it was sore and it was quite obvious that i was in severe distress but he continued on to the end. I never knew why he did that but I guess if the anaesthetic works for 98% of  the population then its understandable how the mistake was made. Also interestingly enough I see other people's hair has turned auburn, which happened to me around age 21. I always wondered what caused that??

People with red hair tend to have high copper levels (it's possible they always do, I'm not sure), which in turn leads to high levels of histamine in the blood.  Heightened sensitivity to pain is one of the effects of high blood histamine levels, as is sensitivity to bright light (something someone else mentioned).   I do not have red hair (I am albino) but I have high blood histamine levels and I have heightened pain sensitivity and need much more anesthetic than normal.  Interestingly, while I have a heightened sensitivity to pain, I also have a high tolerance for it.  I can't explain that.  People with high blood histamine (called Histadelia) do tend to have intense personalities and be very emotionally volatile, so the "fiery personality" thing might be true.  Histadelia can be managed so look this up if you have this problem.

I'm a redhead and have had a number of surgeries and have not had more anesthesia than normal.  I've never had a root canal, but don't seem to take extra pain-killers with the dentist either.  I have a low alcohol tolerance, though.  But I think a lot of women do, for that matter.

All redheads are not created equal. What shade red hair are we talking about? strawberry? or auburn? I was born with coppery auburn hair that has turned so dark with passing time that I have to be in direct sunlight for anyone to know that I have red hair. I also have a very high tolerance for pain. At the same time, others I have known with lighter more strawberry red hair do seem to have a lower pain threshold.  Hmmm.... something to consider?

I am a redhead who has tolerated pain many times.  Toleration is not a problem.  Anesthesia doesn't work or is metabolised very quickly.  

I had two children at home without anything.  I crushed my big toe and had to ride a horse three miles, put him away, pull off the boot to find my big toenail ripped out by the roots, broke my other foot and kept working all day,   I have had root canals on almost all teeth.  I have had two operations and been put out many times.  I always start to wake up and they have to give me more or I come up off the table and surprise them.   I wake up immediately also afterwards, no hangover.

I also could drink my male counterparts under the table when I was young.  There is no corrolation there.  I wish doctors would take my advice and get ready to give me more instead of rollng their eyes like I am lying.

I think it's in the liver.  Any doctors out there?

As a redhead I have had differing experiences.  I find I bleed a lot more than most when it comes to dental work but I don't know that I feel more pain.  It hurts but I figure the mouth is so sensitive for everyone.

I've had 3 c-sections- the first one, I needed more anesthetic in my epideral- I almost wasn't given more 'cause the dr. couldn't believe I could actually feel pain so soon after the epideral was started (tried to tell me that what I was experiencing was just pressure.  I had to convince him I knew the difference btwn pressure and pain!) My 2nd and 3rd c-sections I didn't require any extra anesthetic (that I am aware of) and in fact I was off all pain meds 12 hours after my second one.  The nurses kept trying to force meds on me because they couldn't believe I wasn't feeling pain, but I really didn't need them.  I was as surprised as they were!

I am a redhead and have very high tolerance for pain.  When I had an epidural I needed a lot less of the anesthesia than most when in labor, they actually had to give me about 3 epi injections to get my blood pressure back up, and turn the levels of my anesthesia down to the lowest setting so I could feel my legs again in order to be able to push.  We are all made differently, and it scares me that an Anesthesiologist may OD me with anesthesia thinking I need more because of the color of my hair.

Hi, I have sensitive fair skin and freckles but not red hair. When I had my amalgam fillings out, I felt the pain from the first session quite significantly so for subsequent visits, the dentist gave me 3 or 4 times the local anaesthetic dose of what he would normally give and that was sufficient. Recently, I had a right heart catheter whereby the neck area around the jugular vein needed to be anaesthetised for the catheter to be inserted. The doctor told me that he had given me 3 times what he would give any of his other patients but that did not work well enough and the pain from the procedure was almost unbearable. I have had medical procedures whereby I have been assured that they were almost pain free and the opposite was true. I blamed the staff for not truthfully disclosing the pain content but in retrospect perhaps I do need more anaesthetic than the average person.

Do blondes have more fun?

I am a redhead. I am also a mma fighter. I have experienced quite the opposite. I have an above average pain threshold and I have enjoyed playing rough since I was young. The toughest friend I know also happens to be a redhead. There are a lot of variables that were not accounted for in this study. I think doctors and scientists should be less hasty to jump at the first conclusion they come to. Just because a connection is found, doesn't mean it's the only connection, nor does it mean that it's a confirmation of theory. The need for more anesthesia or pain killers does not neccesarily mean that a person has more pain. It could mean they have a higher tolerance to the meds. So, if you happen to be in the ring with me... Don't bank on this stereotype.

I'm a natural medium auburn hued female of Scottish/English heritage who has always had issues with anesthesia.  My last experience with the dentist resulted in 4 ampules of Novocaine on two occasions for a crown prep because I just wouldn't get numb.  My pain lasted for over 6 weeks and continues to ache on occasion.  My nurse anesthetists have told me that they have to give more Propofal during the surgery and Toradol IV upon waking up.  I am a Surgical Nurse and fully understand issues with pain control and have never quite understood why I have more post op pain than any of my friends.   My laparoscopic hysterectomy pain was full kilt pain for over two weeks and was agonizing at best even with Vicodin, Tylenol etc.  I'm preparing for an ACL repair this month on my knee and am already dreading the pain that will follow.   I have already discussed a pain pump for the first two days with my surgeon and hope that this will help.   I have started applying Traumeel lotion to my knee twice a day in preparation and have been taking Bromelain 500mg twice a day  as well.  This "Red Head" phenomenon is real in my eyes.  Thanks everyone for sharing!!!  If anyone has any suggestions for post op pain control I'd appreciate it.

I have red hair and have always had a very high pain tolerance. However, I am also extremely sensitive to pain/stimuli it that makes any sense. My body has never been able to handle medication of any sort. When I have had need for local anesthetic more has been needed. The few times I have been completely put under by anesthetic, my recovery has been really difficult and seems to take longer than the average person (according the the nurses who assisted me) With my youngest son's birth I gave in to the pressure for an epidural and that had a worse effect on me than working through the pain of his delivery. With my oldest son I did not have any medication for his birth and my recovery was fine. I have become very in tune with my body and listen to what it is telling me now...more than once I've contradicted what my dr. has said and been right.

I consider myself a redhead.  I have red, blond, and brown hairs, but everyone always says I am a redhead.  I have a very high tolerance for pain.  Often I have avoided dealing with certain health issues until the pain became so great that I was forced to.  I have seen many others avoid situations that they consider painful  that I  consider only an inconvenience.

I had bright orange hair as child.  It became brunette, with some reddish strands as I aged.  I have woke up twice when under anesthesia, , even when 5 years old. During a different surgery,  I was awake, yet given an IV for pain.  This surgery could not be completed during 1st attempt, because my vein that surgeon was working on constricted.  He had me take a course of valium before the next attempt, which was then a success.  Dentists have had a horrible time, getting me numb.  I have had 2 teeth pulled on separate occasions, where I just had to suck up and withstand the pain.  My current dentist only makes a few attempts adjusting the needle location and adding more novicane, for serious work on lower molars.  When no success she sends me to a specialist who puts me to sleep. My current dentist did research, and found that Native American Indians have a problem with novicane not working.  I forget if she (dentist) said they have a higher concentration of some hormone or  not enough of it.  Somehow this affects chemistry in body, causing novicane to have no affect.  Of course I am American Indian and Welsh.  I had  heard about the redhead "low pain tolerance" before; so I guess I get a double whammy.  The surgeon who worked on vein joked and said he was going to take valium  as well, before doing surgery on my the other leg.  The one good thing is that I've worked out a pretty good routine, to get me thru procedures when I know I'm going to feel pain - I just ask how many seconds (minutes) each part of process is going to take, and counting down each increment of time helps.

I am a redhead and I have always had a high pain tolerance.  I had three deep cavities filled with no numbing at all when I was 16 and I always seem to bounce back from injuries faster than other people I know.  

I am a fair skinned blue eyed and freckled red head..  My fathers side were Scotts..  His mom, my grandmother, red haired.  My mother is a red head but claims its the Irish in her. She had a bother and sister who were redheads.  Mom has fibromyalgia.  She had a very traumatic childhood.    My two sisters  red heads, and several of my cousins as well.    I am super sensitive but manage pain very well .That would be my nature.  I minimize it in my mind. I bleed very easily and for a long time so I just apply pressure. when I have a cut.  I bruise easily but just apply ice. My second sister died from melanoma when she was only 22.  I had another form of it caught very early with no other effects.  We grew up near the beach in Southern California and sunburned easily.  I drink very little alcohol.  I abhor medications and do not do vaccines.    I work in an Ememrgency room so I will be almost forced into getting the H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available here.  I am very fearful of that, I hate taking  meds and rarely take anything,. I did not have any when I was a child.. I am not naive and would take meds  for many things, it is just I have been very healthy.  I am very rarely sick, I do have  air born  allergies now in Arizona, but for the most part i deal with those without anything other than an occasional.benadryl. Child birth was easy for me(two pregnancies)  and almost natural except for the Dr's insistence the first time..Yes I do have pain, but I would say I  am able to tolerate it.  I have had a lot of dental procedures and was told "youI bleed a lot."  I have been to a hematologist and had a bleeding time and a panel of other blood tests..  I was supposed to do more studies, but there is nothing serious going on, so awareness of the easy bleeding  is the answer..  I believe that red haired people are blessed with extra sensitivities and sensibilities  that can be channeled in different ways.  I use mine to help other people( and animals) as much as possible.

I too am a red head, and I can agree with this article to some extent.  Growing up i remember hating going to the dentist.  I would go and not fight about it but I definitely didn't like it.  Once i got familiar with a specific dentist, I never wanted to go to a different dentist, it was like I was attached to him.  Regarding the pain tolerance, I've noticed I have an unusually high pain tolerance.  I know the study doesn't include EVERY red head, but I wonder if there is a reciprocal.  For just as low as the pain tolerance is, maybe in some people there is an unusual high tolerance and for the most part redheads just don't fall into the average pain tolerance category?

I can't speak for my redheaded sisters but I can say that both things are true. I require more anesthesia but have a high tolerance for pain. For example, I just had my wisdom teeth out. It was horrific. I felt far more than they intended me to feel. However, I've discovered after 42 years that I tolerate high levels of pain without complaint. I can run a fever over 100 and behave as if it's minor while most people are laid out by such. It wears me out. It's difficult but I go about my days with levels of pain and keep on trucking when most people cave in. So, yes, sensitive to pain but endurance is high in spite of that. It takes more anesthesia to take me "out." It's more complicated than studies have thus far been able to ascertain, perhaps. My redhead son does seem to have a low tolerance for pain but how can we know this, what one registers and on what level? Is it possible he feels pain more acutely and is handling it like a champ whereas others would be screaming and I sit back with my high tolerance for profound pain and think his whining is a bit much?! So, sensivity does not preclude tolerance, in my opinion and my experience.

I know this is a bit off topic, but while all us redheads are together, I would like to ask if anyone else feels that redheads are more prone to putting on weight than others. I am an overweight and have noticed this. I live in Ireland where there are a lot of redheads. I don`t know if this is just me and I notice redheads more because I am one. Has anyone else noticed this or am I just imagining it ?

I'm a natural redhead & I have usually had a hard time getting numb enough at the dentist.  Interestingly enough, my oral surgeon usually doesn't have a hard time getting me numb enough but every dentist I've had does.  I am very sensitive to light in my eyes.  I'm sort of "hyper sensitive to most medications; pain meds, antihistimines, sleep aids, muscle relaxants, etc.  I "over react" pretty much every time.  I had 4 of my 5 children "naturally" (no pain meds) & found that I usually ended up feeling an out of body type experience at certain points around transition & the baby's descent.  I don't drink so I can't comment on the alcohol point.

As far as sensitivity goes, all of the fair skinned, red/blond members of our family are extremely sensitive to food additives.   Perhaps this is due to how sensitive we are to begin with....  I consider it a blessing, as I believe even those who don't appear to be sensitive to additives such as MSG are still being harmed.  My husband was nearly hospitalized over 20 years ago with severe migraines.  The doctor prescribed beta blocking drugs and wished him luck.  I went to our local health food store in tears, and explained how my husband was suffering.  The owner of the store suggested I read the book "In Bad Taste".  I devoured the book cover to cover and followed it's suggestions, and my husband has NEVER suffered another migraine, DRUG FREE I must add!!!  This book is considered out of print, but can still be found on-line through E-Bay, etc.  Best of health to all!!!  

I am a redhead, have a brother and sister with red hair and two daughters (in their 30's) with red hair. None of us seem to have increased sensitivity to pain. My brother and I cannot take much anesthesia at all. We have to ask for a reduced amount. The drs are always surprised by my brother as he is a very big man and yet can only take very small amounts of anesthesia and medications in general. I am so sensitive that years ago when I had sinus endoscopic surgery I requested that I have local anesthesia rather than general. It worked just fine. My daughters also are sensitive to any pain medications and have side effects sooner than the general population, thus require less not more. My daughters and I do not take any regular medications of any kind and keep healthy with good health habits, good nutrition, exercise and natural supplements. My brother, my daughters and I also have a low tolerance to alcohol and drink very little when we do drink. My sister is the only one who does not require small amounts of anesthesia and has a higher tolerance for alcohol. My husband who is NOT a redhead does require more anesthesia and pain meds when he needs them. However, at the dentist he requests no anesthetic -- he just toughs it out. He feels the pain but grins and bears it.

As a mother of 2 boys, one blonde and one red, I say they take pain very well. When they fall and scrape their knees, they just get up and say 'I'm alright'. My husband, a redhead (more often than not) when injured does the ER work himself at home! I'm a very petite, blonde, and fair person and I can take pain unlike most others and usually take more anestetic when at the dentist...Although,I usually just go with the pain because I hate to be a bother and don't enjoy the numb afterwords. I think it just depends on how the person is and how they deal with the pain. I birthed both my boys natural... I guess they were born in to just taking pain !

I am a redhead - not the fiery red, but more of an auburn.  I have freckles over virtually every square inch of my body and typical green eyes.  I'm a combination of 100% Western European descent as well.

YEP!  It true.  I have always had to have more anesthetic -especially for dental work than the other patients.  I have known that this is the way it is for years.

I have also noted over the years that redheads don't get gray hair as soon as other people do! YIPPEE!!!

 My hair is now light brown with red highlights; born blond.  I am 66 & have used an ash colored hair dye, & my hair comes out red!  I called the company & they said it is because my hair has natural red highlights in it, & during the coloring process, they get brought out (I was trying to cover it up!).  Back to the pain issue; I thought I would die in childbirth, the pain was so bad; all I got were a few sniffs of some wimpy "anesthetic" that did nothing at all, & I was in labor for 3 days.  I had 1 child (not going thru that again!).  During my first colonoscopy the Dr. used his standard medications, which were useless; I was in so much pain they had to stop the procedure.  Due to undiagnosed celiac disease (for years) I underwent several of these, & after consulting a nurse who also had had them, she told me what she had the Dr. use.  Next time I told HIM what I wanted.  He balked at first, but knew his past recipe didn't work, so he did as I asked, & I made it through (asleep).  I had read this info before somewhere, & I believe for me it is true.   I also suffer from FMS & chronic pain, arthritis & a sleep disorder, so I struggle even in the best of circumstances. I do seem to feel pain very intensely (& I've tried to sublimate the feelings, with little success), & even taking pain medication has seemed of little benefit.

  Another interesting observation by my allergist, years ago; about 90% of his patients have fair skin, blue eyes, & red or blond hair.  He said, just look at those in the waiting room. Amazing. If you have allergies (or undiagnosed problems that could be allergies) check your hair & eye color, & consider getting an allergy assessment for your health issues.

I'm a redhead and have benefited (or suffered) from a heightened kinesthetic sense since childhood.  It takes considerably more anesthesia at the dentist before I can't feel anything but I have an extremely high tolerance for pain,  a good thing since I react badly to most analgesics.  To most pharmaceuticals for that matter.    A simple aspirin usually does the trick when I just can't stand it anymore.  

Fellow Redheads - it is very interesting to read that many of you have experienced more bleeding than usual, or been told by your doctors that it is common for redheads to bleed more.  LucasBee, from what you describe with your excess bleeding with dental work, and also the ugly bruising, please consider Von Willebrand's disease. Your doctor can order a blood test for this. This is a bleeding disorder, which I have, and I am a natural redhead with red gold hair and pale green eyes. I have also been told by health professionals that we redheads tend to be "bleeders" and I can attest to that fact in my case - especially when I had my baby!  I wonder if VWB is more common in redheads?  I think the coincidence is amazing that 1-2% of the population are natural redheads, and  1-2% of the population has VWB disease.  I tend to be on the other end of the pain scale - tolerate it better than most and it doesn't take a lot of medication to knock it out. However, I have requested more novacaine shots during dental work as I could feel the nerve being hit.  I am very sensitive to meds, and alcohol - forget it! One glass of wine and it's nighty night! Three glasses and it's a really bad morning!

FIRST: to those redheads out there in this same boat- Hypnosis is an amazing helper! Now that I am aware of EFT, no more pain in my teeth for sure and am working on the rest of me !

          This is amazing! It is nice to know I am not crazy or some sort of"big baby"! How many times have I been called that! I am 62 years old and gone through "Hell" with my teeth over the years!  I am a redhead; Swedish, Irish, English ancestry. Very fair skin. i have always had to have more anesthetic than normal, sometimes up to 5-6 shots! A few times it doesn't work at all! One time for a small cavity  on my right upper eyetooth, I was given 5 shots to deaden the area. Nothing helped! He finally put in a temporary filling and sent me home. A week later I went in had one shot and had no pain whatsoever! So weird.  It makes me think I'm nuts! This has happened in other areas of my mouth as well. The anesthetic also wears off quickly. Very quickly.  They do have an anesthetic that lasts longer, and I always ask for this.

      Also, i have had a knee surgery and a  shoulder surgery where the pain after surgery was more extreme than I was led to believe it should have been. Of course, they shot an anesthetic into the joint area after surgery.  On me, this would have worn off very quickly. But you learn after many years of being called a "baby" to just grin and bare it! I do heal quickly, thank God! And again, after any surgery I wake up very quickly and am never groggy. This is so amazing! I feel so much better about myself!

i am a true red head and i can say at least for my self i feel pain more intence than others but at the same time have a high tolerance to it. in fact i will put up with it to the point i dont even notice it as much like im getting use to it i guess.

I'm starting to get very annoyed at this study.  I'm a redhead and my oldest daughter is also a redhead.  As far as I can tell, neither of us experience more pain than our other family members and we do not avoid going to the dentist.  My blonde son is the one who wigs out the most when hurt.  My redheaded daughter has always had extremely curly hair which took long periods of time to brush through and has never seemed to have a tender scalp, like I have heard so many people assume about redheads.  I also don't have a tender scalp.  I'm currently pregnant with my fifth child and give birth at home without pain medication.  I do not scream and carry on in labor, I just work with my body and get through the discomfort.  If I felt pain more than others, I don't believe I would continue to choose to have children, especially without pain medication.  Just my two cents.

i'm a red head who just underwent knee replacement, synovectomy and ankle surgery all in one go.  i can tell you from experience that i have difficulty taking pain meds (i'm allergic to opioids, and was only able to take tylenol for pain!!!)  i have always avoided the dentist or doctor as much as i could, since it seems like everything hurts so much.  i've managed to develop hashimoto's thyroiditis and RA tho, so i'm doomed to a future of shots and sutures!  

My mom is a redhead but oddly enough, she has always resisted taking much pain medicine while being hospitalized.  I think she doesn't like to admit she's hurting until she can't hide it anymore.  She's elderly and has had occasional back pain from osteoporosis.  It's hard for me to tell if her pain is more than normal based on my observations and what she's told me.

although my hair was white blond as a child, when i turned 5 it changed to bright auburn, where it remained for the next 10 years.  i have the fair skin, the freckles, the sensitivity to sunlight, and the INSENSITIVITY to pain!  

going to the dentist has always been a challenge.  think about this -- when i have a root canal, i need at least 3 novocaine shots just to deaden the tooth enough so that the top of the tooth can be removed.  after that i need at least one shot per root, plus another shot in front of the tooth and a shot in back of the tooth, and possibly another shot at the back of the mouth.  this quiets the tooth enough so that i don't leave deep gouge marks in the dentist's chair and he can finish the root canal.

two hours later -- the novocaine kicks in.

this year i had to have arthoscopy on my right knee for a torn meniscus.  have i recovered yet?????  nooooooo.  here it is september 5 -- i had the surgery on april 17 and it probably will be at least another year before i will be recovered from the surgery.  this redhead doesn't heal well, either.  :::::smile:::::

Maybe this has something to do with Redheads and their copper/zinc balance?  Redheads are supposed to be prone to copper overload, as well as sometimes having iron overload problems - (Hemochromatosis) the Irish-Celtic thing...   Might affect the way the liver metabolizes anesthesia as well as alcohol?   But, definitely dental pain is different than other pain!

The comment part of this discussion is interesting.

www.sciencebase.com/.../copper-blues.html

I have naturally red hair, and I have always enjoyed going to the dentist! I rarely get sick, but I consider myself to have a high pain threshold. If I have a headache or something like that, I prefer to tough it out rather than take something for it. I got my red hair from my grandpa who had an EXTREMELY high pain threshold. He never complained about anything, but he went through a lot. I've never heard this pain theory before, but it is very interesting.

PS I have definitely been told I have that fiery personality!  I can't argue with that!  One thing I appreciate at age 50 is that my hair is still red - I kind of like it, even with extra sensitivity and all....

I'm a redhead that needs a lot of novacaine!  It seems I need to get a lot more than most.  Over the years I have just become used to preparing my dentists with that fact.  I also have sensitive gums.  

And I agree with the other posters who said we are sensitive to everything - hot, cold, any adverse conditions.  I always have thought I was high maintenance!

Much to the annoyance of my friends, I can drink them under the table and never get a hangover. However, I dread the dentist, and my friends cannot understand this - now I will blame that on my red hair - YAY, an excuse at last !!!!

Yes, I believe that may be true. I was born a red head but now I'm white. LOL  However, I feel pain very intensely.

Last winter for example, we were on our usual winter trip to AZ from CA and I had developed neuropathy in my feet. The burning was very intense. I tried to help with the driving and I simply couldn't. When I put my foot on the pedal the pain felt like I stuck it into the fire place. Tears came rolling down my face. My poor husband had to do all the driving while i sat with my feet on a pillow. It is some better now but I still suffer from it. Any suggestions for getting rid of this fool pain would be much appreciated. Funny thing is we go to AZ to hike a lot in the winter and with my feet so sore I kept them on ice for the first three days and then went with my husband but put feet on ice as soon as I got back each day. I am not diabetic so why do I have this?

Also, I will never again have a mammogram. The last one two or three years ago left my breast so sore that they still hurt. I just barely managed to keep from screeming the last time and I don't really think they are a good idea anyway but my doctor insisted so I went one last time and that was a mistake I'm paying for still with very sore breasts.

Also testifying that as a redhead, I have needed more pain meds at the dentist than the average person.

I am also highly sensitive to hot and cold.

Alcohol is not my friend. my liver goes into shock and the morning after is so pathetic that it does not make the buzz worthwile in any shape or form. I have learned very early on how to stay away from it. Actually, it is a great natural alarm system and in many ways I wish that more individuals would have this reaction built in. It would prevent our youth from so much alcohol consumption, so detrimental to their overall health!

I also have the same reaction for heavily fried foods and fattening sweets. I have noticed that redheads (in general) tend to have weaker (or better alarm system?) liver, gall bladder and general digestive system.

I am strawberry blonde redhead with freckles. And yes I dread pain and am far more sensitive to it than most people.

I am also a redhead and hate the dentist but i had 3 children with no medications at all . i consider myself rather stoic.  

perhaps you arent aware there is a whole body of knowledge that considers this and also includes what conditions we are succeptable to and foods we should and shouldnt eat and temperature preferences etc. In ayurveda (indian medicine) redheads tend to be pitta which relates to fire and many other tendencies.

temper  etc.. check it out.

I think that I have a high pain tolerance. I don't ever remember having more than necessary amount of pain killers.  However, giving birth was extremely painful, with and without pain killers!

My daughter has red hair and it is completely true that she requires more pain relief when she seeks dental treatments.  For a routine cavity, she felt so much pain, we had to tell the dentist that the next time she has a similar treatment, to increase the pain dosage significantly.  As a baby she had colic and screamed for hours every day...

I can't tolerate alcohol either.... whenever i have a few sips of a wine cooler I have pain in my chest and in my muscles.  It hurts soo bad i have to drink allot of water to make it go away.  Needless to say i dont drink.

Holy cow! I would never have thought that my hair colour, of all things, would explain (to a certain degree) why I'm so sensitive! I've always been sensitive to touch. Even the slightest bit of tickling makes me writhe and giggle (but I can't take much of it, it's just too much stimulation all at once!). It also seems that I can't be massaged on the shoulders because as soon as someone's hands get into massaging position at the base of the neck, I instantly cringe very tightly and can't relax until the person's hands come off me.

As for alcohol, it seems like I was more tolerant when I was in my early twenties; perhaps because of my ill gallbladder and liver health, I'm much more sensitive now (I'm 24 going on 25 now). I don't think I could be an alcoholic, like my parents were when they were in their twenties, partly because I don't have the liver strength to handle that, but partly because I don't like drinking to excess; I don't like feeling incoherent and out of control. As a plus, I usually have light hangovers, but perhaps that's because I rarely get *wasted* enough for that.

I almost never have trouble at the dentist's, but the last time I needed anesthetic, when I was getting my wisdom teeth removed at the age of 12, I needed ultimately EIGHT injections to freeze all the nerves in just one side of my mouth! It was awful, but I remember having a fairly easy recovery---I didn't need any Tylenol or other meds, although I had maybe one or two days of slight pain in my gums. I was lucky in that regard.

As for giving birth, lol, well I just wait and see what happens when that time comes!

i have red hair and I have had 3 children and the pain was bad.  The pain meds didnt work on any of my labors especially with the last baby the epidural didnt work at all.  The Doc kept pinching my leg and asking me if I felt it and I felt everything.  I honestly thought at times that I was dying it hurt so bad but he was a face up baby so that coulda been why.    I also tend to bleed allot. I bleed allot after my wisdom teeth came out and when I broke my nose.  Whenever I have kids the doc has to give me bag after bag of oxytocin to keep me from bleeding too much and a shot in my rear.  He told me red heads always seem to bleed allot.  My sister is a red head, darker than me, and her epidural did not work either.  I bruise very easy too.  You tap me and I buckle over in pain and end up with a big ugly bruise the next day.  

I have 5 kids and never any felt pain during labor or during natural childbirth, so this is one red head who is laughing at these silly studies.  I  am a bleeder though  ... typical red-head tendency toward lower platelets, supposedly.  Like most people of ANY hair color, I  avoid the dentist. I also avoid the doctor and don't get flu shots.  Pain isn't the deciding factor for any of this.  

I have dark red hair (well, I had...) and  I am highly sensitive to pain, and the dentist knows that I have to have more pain relievers than others having the same procedures.  I also remember being told, "oh, that doesn't hurt," when by golly, I guess I knew it did.  Does anyone remember playing Red Rover?  Or Dodge Ball?  I hated those games because they hurt!  And I wasn't a wimp.  I have also always been light sensitive, too.

Though my hair is now auburn instead of red, I've always had a fairly high pain tolerence. My daughter, even though she is only 18months does seem to feel more then her cousins who are blonde and brunette. I think in all, it just really depends on the individual because there are so many other factors in genetics that influence these things.

I (a redhead) and a redheaded colleague both need a lot more anesthesia at the dentist.  They never could get me entirely "numb" for a recent tooth pull.  During braces I was vastly more sensitive to mouth pain than my friends who had them.  As another poster wrote, I found what I was taking great effort to tolerate, others never felt.

I am a 44 yo female, ancestry is scott-irish. I have always had an extremely high tolerance for pain. I thought it was because I'm a southern former marine. haha Seriously, pain meds have little affect on me. The only time I have reached for them was when I had a tooth ache and was ready to get a tool to pull it myself. The best meds they could give me dropped my pain from a 9 to a 7. I am 117 lbs and when my 230 lb husband had the same meds for wisdom teeth removal, he dropped like a fly! LOL He doesn't have red hair... but he was a marine too! Interesting...

Yes, as a natural red head, I also have always needed extra shots at the dentist's office. I inevitably experience some pain before the DR dials it in properly. I always get drilled before I'm completely dead. So it seems that fear is a fairly reasonable response.

However, I will add that I gave birth to two sons at home and seem to generally be very tolerant of pain otherwise. So perhaps red heads experience pain more in terms of the sensations and are forced to habituate in general and therefore develop extremely strong coping skills. Dental visits stick out as a unique activity, especially if they are avoided, so there is little chance to habituate. I also think there is a difference in terms of pain to head vs pain to other body parts. Face pain, perhaps being simply more personal somehow.

I think it comes down to "individual metabolism."  I am a brunette; my entire life I have metabolized anaesthetic way too fast - waking up during a surgery, needing  a second shot during a dental procedure to replace a filling, etc.   I don't think it has anything to do with being a redhead; we just focus on redheads because there are so few of them compared with the rest of the population of mostly dark-haired people.

Regarding the disparate results of the two studies (where one says redheads are less pain tolerant, and the other says they are more tolerant of pain). In the case of the dentist's office, I can certainly see why some are likely to avoid the trip altogether. The type of pain at the dentist office is fairly unique and sharp. It is not likely that one can build a resistance to this type of pain - toothaches aside. Whereas, if one is used to chronic pain, your pain threshold goes up. I have experience with this dealing with a chronic digestive ailment.

I suppose it is a case of whether the person is used to chronic pain or not. If so, then your pain threshold is higher - wherever it originally was, which means you can tolerate all kinds of pain better than you could after suffering through chronic pain.

I have auburn-red hair with hazel (more green than brown) eyes and had freckes across my nose when I was a kid. I don't recall being extra sensitve to pain, and don't mind dentist vistists.

I have a red-headed daughter who is nine years old.  My niece sent me the less condensed version of this article, and it was like a light coming on in my brain.  I always thought my daughter was overly sensitive, because a light bump on the elbow or a paper cut on her fingertip would just traumatize her!  She needed to have a cavity filled last week, so her dentist (with my overwhelming approval) decided to give my daughter "laughing gas".  Within five minutes after the mask was placed on her face, my daughter asked the dentist to turn up the gas!  

Miss Bliss, your observations are 100% accurate.  My daughter wears a coat in 70 degree weather.  If she is hungry or tired, watch out!  Her moods plummet or soar in direct and rapid reaction to conditions and the environment.  

As for the generalization that redheads are fiery...my entire family can vouch for that one!  

Peggy Martindale

I am a natural redhead. about ten year ago i was in a very serious car accident. I was in the hospital for over a month. I fractured my skull. broke my neck in two places broken arm 3 ribs on left side and my left kneecap. I don't have a lot of memories about my time in the hospital I think i blocked most of it out. But i have a very vivid one, they put me out and inserted a large black scope down my throat. I very vividly remember waking up during this not once but twice. And i also remember the doctor yelling put her out put her out . He told me after that it took a large amount to keep me under. So maybe it is true. I had many other surgeries without any other reactions. As for the pain I can not even begin to describe it I was on a dilauded drip for three weeks straight.      

I'm a 45 year old Red Head and go to the dentist at least twice a year for cleanings. I had all my Mercury fillings replaced about six years ago and needed extra anesthetic to help me get through the nerve pain! NOTHING could have prepared me for what I've just recently gone through. I was the victim of a stalker, a man whom I never dated, who tried to abduct me outside my home.Running for my life,I was shot through the 12th vertebrae which left me paralyzed from the waist down. He then ran over me with his SUV further shattering my body. Having 4 major surgeries, I have been through tremendous pain unlike anything imaginable and did need alot of anestetic and pain medicine to get me through. I do believe that being a natural Red head has made me far more sensitive over the years than the average person.Thank you God,I'm grateful to be alive, everyday is a gift !  christinekent@bellsouth.net

As a natural redhead, I have a good tolerance of pain; I  don't drink much so am not sure about the alcohol issue.  I have little to no tolerance of hot weather and humidity.

However, I over-react  to anesthetics and during 2 C-sections was immobilized for hours beyond what the hospital staff expected. My doctor, a South African, mentioned numerous times that redheads bleed more, and I certainly proved that one too.  I wonder if redheads generally have low iron levels (my levels are always on the low side).  As far a temper, I believe any "bad temper" redheads might have is more from being continually picked on and teased as kids!