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Doctor reveals extremely important reason why redheads must always tell their anesthesiologist if it is natural

No, it's not a social media trend. There's a scientific reason why people with red hair should always tell doctors if it's natural when going under anesthesia.
PUBLISHED JAN 26, 2025
Portrait of a woman with red hair (Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels | Matheus Bertelli)
Portrait of a woman with red hair (Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels | Matheus Bertelli)

People love to dye their hair for aesthetic purposes. However, those who go with the red shade need to be extra careful when going under anesthesia. It is quite important for them to be transparent about their dyed red hair with their doctors and there's a scientific reason for it. Dentist and lifestyle content creator Ben Kim, who goes by @niiidental on TikTok, shared an insightful video on why people with natural red hair need a different dose of anesthesia, compared to others. 

A person getting their hair dyed red (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Maria Geller)
A person getting their hair dyed red (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Maria Geller)

He stitched two videos by different people to his post. In the video, the first clip was that of @kaelagordon, a fashion and lifestyle content creator who used a red hair filter on herself to imagine how she would look after dyeing her hair. "If I ever dye my hair red, the power I would have," the woman wrote on her video while lipsyncing to "Slumber Party" by Ashnikko. It was juxtaposed with a clip of Dr. Kunal Soon (@drsood on TikTok) issuing an important public service announcement about the color of a person's hair. ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ

"So, if this not-so-shy girl ever required anesthesia, she should make sure to tell the anesthesiologist that it is not her natural hair color. This is because patients with red hair require, on average, 20 percent more anesthesia. This has been shown through research," Dr. Sood mentioned. Kim, in the final segment of the post, addressed people with natural red hair and those with dyed red hair. "I just want to add, say the same thing to dentists. Let us know. Thanks," Kim concluded. 

A little girl with natural red hair and freckles lying on the ground (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Matheus Bertelli)
A little girl with natural red hair and freckles lying on the ground (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Matheus Bertelli)

According to PBS News, redheads are born with red hair because of a mutated MC1R gene that originally determines the color of our hair. Melanocortin-1 receptors appear in the midbrain where pain perception is regulated, so there is evidence the gene also influences our response to injury and discomfort. A study conducted by a Louisville University team, led by anesthesiologist Daniel Sessler, determined that people with red hair required 19% more general anesthesia compared to people with other hair colors. People who watched Kim's video were surprised to know about the medical fact. ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ

Image Source: TikTok | @jayfernandes98
Image Source: TikTok | @jayfernandes98

@alyssamaree92 mentioned, "This is so true! I am a nurse and every true redhead always needs more anesthesia or pain relief." @jessithepanda wondered, "Why do I keep finding medical stuff from TikTok and not my doctor?" @bundleofnerds mentioned, "Also, people with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome need more anesthesia as well! The last time I had dental work done the doctor was shocked at how much I needed." @becomingmiriam questioned, "So doctors ask the red-haired folks if it’s natural? Or is it always on the client? Because I’d forget to tell you." @denisegodbout added, "This fact always freaked me out and the first time I was on anesthesia was for my wisdom teeth removal. I woke up near the end."


@niiidental @Kunal Sood M.D. thank you for the super important information about red heads!! #fyp #doctor #dentist #dentaltok #redhead #share #viral #healthcare ♬ original sound - Niiidental

 

You can follow Ben Kim (@niiidental) on TikTok for more videos on dentistry and lifestyle.

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