<P> Reddish - brown (auburn) hair is also found amongst some Polynesians, and is especially common in some tribes and family groups . In Polynesian culture reddish hair has traditionally been seen as a sign of descent from high - ranking ancestors and a mark of rulership . </P> <P> The pigment pheomelanin gives red hair its distinctive color . Red hair has far more of the pigment pheomelanin than it has of the dark pigment eumelanin . </P> <P> The genetics of red hair, discovered in 1997, appear to be associated with the melanocortin - 1 receptor (MC1R), which is found on chromosome 16 . Red hair is associated with fair skin color because low concentrations of eumelanin throughout the body of those with red hair caused by a MC1R mutation can cause both . The lower melanin concentration in skin confers the advantage that a sufficient concentration of important Vitamin D can be produced under low light conditions . However, when UV - radiation is strong (as in regions close to the equator) the lower concentration of melanin leads to several medical disadvantages, such as a higher risk of skin cancer . </P> <P> The MC1R recessive variant gene that gives people red hair generally results in skin that is unable to tan . Because of the natural tanning reaction to the sun's ultraviolet light and high amounts of pheomelanin in the skin, freckles are a common but not all - inclusive feature of red - haired people . Eighty percent of redheads have an MC1R gene variant . </P>

Where does red hair and green eyes come from