Ginger Gene Could Be Secret To Looking Younger

(Photo : Getty Images/Clodagh Kilcoyne) People with red hair have long been picked on due to the color of their hair – but a new study suggests they could age better than the rest of us.

People with red hair have long been picked on due to the color of their hair - but a new study suggests they could age better than the rest of us.

Researchers at Erasmus University in Rotterdam have found that the gene responsible for the physical signs of aging is also responsible for red hair and fair skin, writes The Telegraph.

The Dutch researchers analyzed the faces of almost 2700 elderly Dutch Europeans - finding that those carrying a MC1R gene variation, which affects skin color, looked two years younger than their physical age, on average, writes The New Zealand Herald.

Professor Dr Manfred Kayser, who co-wrote the study, said in a press release: "For the first time a gene has been found that explains in part why some people look older and others younger for their age."

"Looking young for one's age has been a desire since time immemorial. The desire is attributable to the belief that appearance reflects health and fecundity," he added.

The results could be beneficial for those with red hair, as they suggest that they could be ageing at a slower rate.
Perceived age has been shown to be a predictor a person's health and mortality - suggesting a person's apparent age - judging from the appearance of their face could be related to a person's biological age and health.

Researchers analyzed the front and side profiles of participants using a 3D image assessment system.

The system searched for 25 criteria, including pigmentation, wrinkles, skin tone and face shape.

This information was then fed into an algorithm, which calculated the perceived age for each person.

According to Kayser, developing a better understanding of the molecular biology behind perceived age would help with ageing therapies, as well as other purposes.

"Our study provides new leads for further investigating the biological basis of how old or young people look," he said in a press release.

The authors of the study said that further research was needed to identify how specific features, including skin sag, could be linked to the MCR1 gene variation.

The study was published in the journal Current Biology.