Affect Red Hair Color

Young woman with long red hair
Photo: UfaBizPhoto/Shutterstock
Q: Hi, my natural hair color is red, but I'm not happy about that. I have read that red hair has the highest amounts of pheomelanin and the lowest of eumelanin. Also that by the time the body takes more eumelanin and the red becomes more brown or gray.
 
My father also had red hair, but at the age of 30 it became brown. My brother’s red hair turned to blond in his 20s. I guess it's associated with the eumelanin amount. My question is: can red hair color be affected by some natural ways, like nutrition, sunlight, vitamins, that gives you more eumelanin?

 
A: In a short answer, “No” not in the way you are hoping, anyway. The pigmentation of the hair and most of the pigment changes that take place are a result of the specific genetic encoding in your body. Your genes determine how much melanin is produced in the hair as it grows, as well as what type of melanin is to be found.
 
There are cases where poor diet and nutrition have led to premature graying of the hair (where there is a cessation of pigment production in the developing hair), and sunlight will disperse any pigment found in the hair when exposed long enough, but if it were possible to affect a controllable color change in the hair through diet or nutritional supplements, the market would be flooded with such products.
 
You don’t specify your own age, but perhaps your hair will go through a color shift like your father’s or brother’s hair as well, but at a later point in life. And if it doesn’t you can always consider a toner service where a translucent color is applied to the hair to tone down color shades you don’t want.
 
You might also consider using a semi-permanent color if you don’t want to have to do color maintenance every 6-8 weeks. A semi-permanent color will fade after 8-12 shampoos and will give you a chance to enjoy the color you want without a commitment.
 
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See also:
 
Redheads
 
Hereditary hair color
 
Why do blondes have a higher hair density than redheads?
 
What is the biological reason for loss of pigmentation in hair as you age?