Question: Is it true that having ginger hair is a mutation of a gene?

Sarah Thomas answered on 25 Mar 2011:

No the ginger gene is not a mutation, it is a normal hair colour gene. The ginger gene is linked to genes that give pale skin and freckles and this is why people that have red hair often have those things too! The ginger gene is recessive so if you have red hair, and you have a baby, the baby will not have red hair unless the other parent also carries the red gene. This is why there are not many people that have red hair!