There are endless hair colors in the world, but what is the rarest hair color? Do you want to know if your hair color is considered rare?
I’m going to share the rarest hair colors, their history, and some interesting facts about them so that you can learn more about the rarest hair colors out there. So, keep on reading to find out more…
What Factors Determine Your Hair Color?
Your hair color is determined by various factors, primarily the type and amount of pigments called melanin present in your hair.
Two main types of melanin influence the shade of your hair: eumelanin and pheomelanin. Eumelanin accounts for black and brown hair colors, while pheomelanin is responsible for red and yellow hues.
Eumelanin and Pheomelanin: The balance of eumelanin and pheomelanin in your hair significantly impacts your hair color.
Higher levels of eumelanin result in darker shades, such as black and brown. Conversely, higher concentrations of pheomelanin lead to lighter shades, like red and blonde.
The closeness of the melanin granules also plays a role in your hair color’s appearance.
MC1R Gene and Recessive Traits: Your hair color is a result of genetics, specifically the interaction of different genes, such as the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene.
This gene has a significant role in determining the amount of eumelanin and pheomelanin produced.
The MC1R gene can have a variety of alleles, some of which result in recessive traits that only manifest when inherited from both parents, such as red hair.
With only around 1 to 2% of the world population having red hair, it is considered the rarest natural hair color.
OCA2 Gene and Other Genetic Factors: Another gene involved in hair color determination is the OCA2 gene.
This gene can influence the production of eumelanin, affecting the shades of brown and black hair colors.
Other genetic factors and environmental influences may contribute to subtle variations in hair color, making each person’s shade unique.
What Are The Most Common Hair Colors In The World?
When it comes to hair colors, there are four main shades that you’ll find in the global population: black, brown, blonde, and red.
Black hair is the most common hair color, with more than 75% of the world’s population having it. You’ll primarily find this hair color in Asian countries and among people of African descent.
In fact, most of the African continent and its countries have predominantly black hair.
Brown hair comes in second place, accounting for about 11% of the global population. It’s most common in Europe, the Americas, Australia, Canada, and some parts of Asia.
There’s a wide range of brown shades, from the lightest brown to the deepest brunette, offering a versatile palette for this hair color.
Blonde hair is a bit rarer, making up only about 2% of the population. You’ll typically find it in Europe, particularly in countries located around the British Isles and Central Asia.
It’s also common among people of European descent in the US and other parts of the world.
Finally, the rarest hair color in the world is red, with only 1% of people having this hue.
Most redheads can be found in Europe, especially in Scotland, where around 13% of the population has red hair.
Some experts believe the US may have the highest number of redheads, but this is up for debate.
| Hair Color | Percentage of Global Population | Primary Regions/Countries Found | Additional Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | Over 75% | Asian countries, African continent | Most common hair color globally. Predominant in the African continent and its countries. |
| Brown | About 11% | Europe, the Americas, Australia, Canada, parts of Asia | Wide range of shades from the lightest brown to the deepest brunette. |
| Blonde | About 2% | Europe (especially around the British Isles and Central Asia), US | Rarer globally, but common among people of European descent in the US and other parts of the world. |
| Red | About 1% | Europe (especially Scotland), potentially the US | Rarest hair color in the world. Scotland has around 13% of its population with red hair. The US might have the highest number of redheads, but it’s debated. |
What Is The Rarest Hair Color?
The rarest hair color is a combination called red-green or turquoise. This unique shade of hair is almost always found naturally in individuals with albinism, and it’s the result of an absence of pigment-producing cells known as melanocytes.
But outside this condition, natural red-green or turquoise hair is extremely uncommon. In fact, only two documented cases have been reported to date: one in France and another in Germany.
Not too far behind is blonde or strawberry blonde. Blonde hair is actually quite common in some countries like Sweden and Iceland, but there are certain shades that can be considered fairly rare—like golden blonde and platinum strawberry blonde—which are often found on people with Scandinavian ancestry.
More recently, we’ve seen a rise in lavender-colored hair made popular by celebrities like Katy Perry and Nicole Richie.
However, it’s still very uncommon to find someone with naturally occurring lavender strands due to the process required to achieve the look: bleaching your hair beyond their normal lightness level until they become a pale shade of purple.
Finally, one type of rare hair color that will probably never go away is white (or gray). While many elderly people have white hair due to natural aging processes, it’s not unheard for younger individuals to also display patches of snow-hued hair through gene mutation or serious illnesses like vitiligo or alopecia areata.
What Is The Rarest Natural Hair Color?
When it comes to natural hair colors, the rarest hue is red. Only 1 to 2% of the entire global population possesses this unique hair color.
The gene responsible for red hair is MC1R, which is recessive in nature. This means that a person will only have red hair if they inherit two copies of the MC1R gene.
There’s a wide range of red shades, from the vibrant maple to the more subdued auburn.
Red hair is often associated with certain regions, such as Scotland and Ireland, though the United States might have the highest number of redheads per capita.
In contrast, black and very dark brown hair are the most common hair colors, making up approximately 75 to 85% of the global population.
These hair colors are mostly found in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Southern Europe.
Brown hair, often referred to as walnut or milk chocolate, falls between black and red on the rarity scale.
Similarly, blonde hair is also more common than red hair but not as prevalent as brown or black hair. Both brown and blonde hair consist of varying shades and tones that can be categorized based on the melanin present in the hair follicles.
The hair color you see is determined by the pigmentation (eumelanin and pheomelanin) found in hair follicles.
Generally, more melanin results in darker hair, whereas less melanin yields lighter shades.
What Is The Rarest Hair And Eye Color Combination?
You might be curious about which hair and eye color combination is the rarest globally. Red hair is the most unique hair color worldwide, as it is caused by only a few MC1R gene variants.
When it comes to eye colors, green is considered the rarest, with only 2% of the world’s population having green eyes.
Red Hair and Blue Eyes: If you encounter someone with red hair and blue eyes, it’s quite a rarity.
This unique combination forms the rarest hair and eye color mix globally due to the extremely low prevalence of both red hair and blue eyes in the general population.
Red Hair and Green Eyes: Another rare combination is red hair and green eyes. Both red hair and green eyes are rare individually, which makes their occurrence together extremely rare as well.
People with this uncommon combination are often found to have Irish or Scottish ancestry, as both red hair and green eyes tend to be more prevalent in these populations.
Brown Hair and Hazel Eyes: Although brown hair is relatively common, making up about 11% of the population, it’s not very frequent to see individuals with brown hair and hazel eyes.
This combination is most prevalent in the Middle East and tends to be uncommon globally, making it a rare hair and eye color mix.
How Rare Is Strawberry Blonde Hair?
Strawberry blonde hair is indeed a rare sight to behold. This unique hair color is a stunning blend of light copper red and blonde streaks, varying in ratio and depth.
It is so rare that only about 0.5% to 5% of the world’s population has natural strawberry blonde hair.
Having natural red hair itself is infrequent, constituting less than 2% of the global population. However, strawberry blonde hair is even more unusual with its unique combination of colors.
While hair color is determined by the melanin pigments inherited from your parents, the striking balance between eumelanin and pheomelanin pigments results in this remarkable hue.
Strawberry blonde hairstyles capture attention effortlessly, and they can be seen on some celebrities, further popularizing this rare shade.
Thanks to hair dye technology, you can try out strawberry blonde even if you don’t have the natural gene for it. This flexibility allows more people to experience the allure of these light, medium, and dark-red variants.
How Rare Is It To Be Born With Dirty Blonde Hair?
Dirty blonde hair is not as rare as you might think. In fact, it is a fairly common hair color. However, there are different shades of dirty blonde hair, and some are rarer than say dark hair colours.
Dirty blonde hair is a mixture of light and dark blonde hair colors.
As a result of the genetics of hair color, the outcome is influenced by many genes working together to control the amount and type of melanin.
Large amounts of very dense eumelanin produce black hair. Moderate somewhat dense amounts result in brown hair.
Blonde hair, including dirty blonde, is the result of very little and thinly dispersed amounts of eumelanin.
The gene for red hair is the rarest natural hair color in the world. Currently, only 1 to 2% of the entire population has naturally red hair.
The red hair gene (MC1R) is recessive, meaning a child will only have red hair if they inherit two copies of the gene.
When considering the rarity of dirty blonde hair, it falls somewhere in the middle of the hair color spectrum. It is more common than red hair, but less common than brown or black hair.
While it is difficult to pinpoint an exact percentage, it’s clear that dirty blonde hair isn’t the rarest hair color, but it still holds a unique place in the diversity of human hair shades.
Summary
Hair color is determined by various factors, such as the type and amount of melanin present in your hair. Black and brown hair are the most common, making up over 85% of the world population.
Blonde hair is rarer, with only 2%, while red hair is even rarer at 1%. Red-green or turquoise hair is extremely uncommon outside of individuals with albinism.
When it comes to multi-colored combinations, the rarest one would be red hair and blue eyes. Brown with hazel eyes follows closely behind as it tends to be more unique globally.