Red Hair and Eyebrows: The Connection Explained

Most people with naturally red hair have red eyebrows, although not all redheads have red eyebrows. Genetics determines hair colour, and genes determine the amounts and types of melanin the body produces, which gives hair, eyes, and skin their colours.

Red hair is caused by a mutation in the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R), which reduces the amount of eumelanin (dark brown/black pigment) produced and increases the amount of pheomelanin (yellow/red pigment), resulting in red hair. Often, when a person has the genetic mutation that results in red hair, they also have variations in the genes controlling eyebrow colour, resulting in red eyebrows.

However, genetics can be unpredictable, so some redheads may have different eyebrow colours due to other genetic factors.