While redheads have become synonymous with Ireland and Scotland, American photographer Brian Dowling has made it his mission to capture redheads from around the world. To date, he has photographed over 130 redheads from 20 different countries for his project “Redhead Beauty”.

Red hair is the rarest hair color in the world and is caused by a gene mutation know as MC1R which affects about 1% of the world population. This gene mutation can also affect a person’s tolerance to pain, sunlight, and their hairs’ ability to gray. Red hair will instead turn blonde or pure white when you age.

Brian started this portrait project which spanned three summers to show the real beauty of red hair and wanted to help break down stereotypes people often have of redheads with his photographs.

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