People with Red Hair May Experience Slower Healing for Cuts and Scrapes.

Red-haired individuals might experience slower wound healing compared to those with blonde, brunette, or dark hair. Research conducted on mice indicated that genetic differences related to hair color may affect the speed at which wounds heal, insights that could lead to improved treatment strategies for various hair colors.

The genes responsible for our hair color play a significant role. The gene MC1R is critical as it produces a protein determining the balance of black-brown and red-yellow pigments within hair follicles.

Individuals with brown or black hair typically have an MC1R variant encoding the active version of this protein. In contrast, nearly all redheads possess a less active or entirely inactive variant due to MC1R mutations. The genetics of hair pigmentation is complex for blondes, too, as they can display either active or inactive protein forms.

This protein is also present in the skin and has an anti-inflammatory effect. This led Jenna Cash from the University of Edinburgh to explore its influence on wound healing. The healing process requires an initial inflammatory response to clear out pathogens and dead cells from the injury site; however, if this response is too intense or prolonged, it can hinder proper healing.

To examine this, she and her team surgically created 4-millimeter wounds on the backs of black and red-haired mice, the latter having completely inactive MC1R protein.

After a week, red-haired mice exhibited an average scar contraction of 73%, while dark-haired mice showed a 93% contraction.

With these results in mind, the researchers hypothesized that an experimental topical agent, which enhances the activity of the active protein form (without impacting the inactive form), could aid in healing chronic wounds. This is particularly relevant for diabetics, in whom persistent high blood sugar can lead to excessive inflammation and delayed healing.

To test this hypothesis, the researchers inflicted wounds on black-haired mice and treated them with medication and bandages, while other black-haired mice with similar wounds received saline and bandages instead.

After one week, wounds of the treated mice had closed by an average of 63%, significantly larger than those of control group mice. “Patients would likely be pleased if their scars were visibly smaller, especially in a short timeframe,” noted Cash. Further analyses revealed the drug’s mechanism: it reduces the number of inflammatory immune cells.

This approach offers potential for treating humans, including redheads, as healing processes show remarkable similarities between mice and humans, most of whom have the MC1R protein functioning to some extent, Cash notes. However, patients with completely inactive forms may not see benefits.

Drugs targeting this protein are currently used for conditions like erythropoietic protoporphyria, making the researchers optimistic about the safety profile of this approach, according to Cash. Nonetheless, further studies are necessary to confirm this, as highlighted by Cas Bogey from Case Western Reserve University. Plans for human trials will commence shortly.

Future studies should also investigate the drug’s safety and efficacy on infected wounds, as Bogey pointed out. “The medication might interfere with the infection response or cause unintended side effects,” she cautioned.

This news may not be received well by some redheads. Prior studies indicate that red-haired individuals might also experience heightened sensitivity to pain. However, Cash reassures, “There’s no cause for alarm. We currently lack human data. Even if individuals with red hair heal somewhat more slowly, the difference may be negligible and hardly noticeable.”