By Sam Escobar, Good Housekeeping
Bad news for the ginger-haired out there: according to science, you may look older than your blonde and brunette peers.
[post_ads]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?"
[post_ads_2]
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!
See More:
- This "Blonde Wand" Claims to Lighten Your Hair in Seconds
- Holographic Hair Is the Latest Trend to Take Over Instagram
- 65+ Hair Color Trends You Need to Know for 2017
