The genes that cause human hair to turn blond are gradually disappearing. More and more people are born with a dark hair color and keep it that way for the rest of their lives. Naturally blond hair still occurs quite regularly in the north of Europe. In Asia and on the African continent, however, it is like looking for a needle in a haystack. How is it possible that blonde hair is so rare? Where is blonde hair still common and do men and women prefer blondes?
Blonde hair is popular
Despite the fact that blonde hair is becoming less common, it remains a popular hair color. Naturally blonde people are mainly found in the Scandinavian countries, or northern Europe. In other parts of Europe and especially the other continents, blonde hair color is becoming less and less common. In some countries, the blonde hair color has almost completely died out.
The fact that blonde hair is becoming less common naturally does not mean that you hardly encounter it on the street anymore . Thanks to techniques from the cosmetics industry, you can dye your hair according to your own wishes. You can of course also bleach your hair, as is done when bleaching your hair. The color pigments are, as it were, removed, making your hair look blonder. This treatment has been happening for years and remains a popular activity.
Why is blonde rare?
The genes that cause your hair to turn blonde are recessive. This means that the genes are only expressed when no other dominant gene is present. For example, if there is a dominant gene that causes your hair color to be black, the blonde gene will not be able to express itself. So if you have blonde hair, one of both parents must at least have naturally blonde hair and the other must either also be blonde or be a carrier of the recessive blonde gene. (note: the inheritance of hair color does not follow a Mendelian inheritance pattern!)
The world we live in now makes it possible to have intensive contact with people from far away. This used to be very different and contact often remained in your own village or a village further away. This ensured that different external features were concentrated in a certain area. So if there are many blonde people living in a village, there is a good chance that you too would share your life with a blonde partner.
Now that it is easier, faster and more intensive to have contact with people from outside, genes are becoming more mixed. A blonde Dutchman can easily enter into a relationship with a dark Japanese man. If these people have children, the blond gene will not be able to be expressed. Migration of residents to the Netherlands and other countries where relatively many blonde people still live will also increase the chance that the blonde gene will disappear at a faster pace.
Blonde people in Iceland
An example of a country that has many blonde people is the country of Iceland. This country is quite remote and surrounded by the sea. For centuries, the country’s inhabitants have had little contact with people from other regions. Due to the isolated location, the blonde gene could easily spread and also stay alive. Nowadays, Icelanders have much more contact with people from outside the island itself. Icelanders study abroad and make a lot of business trips. The chance of a relationship with someone from outside the country has increased considerably these days. An additional effect is that the chance of a relationship with someone who is not blonde has also increased. When a blonde Icelander enters into a relationship with a dark-skinned Spaniard, the children will probably not be born blonde. The blonde gene of the Icelanders then fades into the background and the dominance gene for dark hair of the Spaniard is then expressed in the child. Immigration, emigration and globalization are factors that threaten recessive genes (blonde hair). If the trend continues, natural blond hair will hardly exist in about a hundred years.
Blonde people in Sweden
When we think of blonde people, we quickly think of a country like Sweden. This Scandinavian country indeed has many naturally blonde people. Just like in Finland and Norway, blonde people are the majority. The percentage of blonde people is not high everywhere in Sweden. In cities where many immigrants live, for example Malmö, one will naturally find much less blonde hair.
Blonde people in the USA
America used to be mainly a blonde nation. Not only blond hair was common here, light eyes were also the standard. The inhabitants of America come from everywhere and it is often referred to as a melting pot. Due to the mixing of all kinds of different peoples, the recessive blonde gene has almost become extinct, but there is still a lot of blonde to be seen on the streets. Many people bleach their hair. Light eyes are also becoming less common. In America, about one in three was born with light eyes, but today that figure is down to one in six (about 16%).
Blonde people in Germany
Blonde hair and light eyes linked to Germany may evoke some strange associations. The combination was heavily promoted and idealized in the middle of the last century under the authority of Adolf Hitler. He thought that certain combinations of physical characteristics made a person superior to people who did not have these characteristics. People with blond hair, light eyes and certain skull dimensions were seen as übermenschen . Today this idea is virtually extinct. Blonde people are mainly found in the north of Germany. Above the cities of Hannover and Berlin it becomes significantly blonder in Germany. This division can also be seen in the Netherlands.
Why is the north blonder?
The north of Germany and the Netherlands have more blonde people than the south. The north of Great Britain also has more blonde people. The north of Sweden, Norway and Finland are not. In the north of these Scandinavian countries, Lapland, mainly the Sami (Sami) live. Countries where there is a lot of blonde hair have something special. Scientists are particularly interested in the genes that ensure that these external characteristics can be expressed. To investigate the exact distribution of certain genes, Y-DNA haplogroups were examined. The I1 and R1b haplogroups found in particular have many blond people.
Where does blonde hair (still) occur?
Blonde hair is mainly found in the Scandinavian countries. It is estimated that approximately 50 to 80% of all residents are blonde. Of course, many different blond nuances can be distinguished. Not everyone in these countries has platinum blonde hair. Especially in the countries of Norway, Sweden and Finland, people have a lot of naturally blond hair. Naturally blond hair is no more common among women than among men in these countries. Both genders have an equal chance of becoming blonde, something you might not expect. Fewer and fewer blonde people are born
in the Netherlands and Germany, but nevertheless 20 to 50% in the Netherlands and especially the north of Germany are still naturally blonde. In the Netherlands, naturally blonde people mainly live in the north of the Netherlands (Groningen & Friesland). In Belgium the percentage is slightly lower; here about 1 to 20% of the population has naturally blonde hair.
Do men like blonde women?
What about hair color in men and women? It seems that women have blonde hair more often than men. This is often not naturally blonde hair, but hair that has been bleached. Why do women do this more often than men? Over the years, blonde hair has become a symbol for young, attractive women. It is sometimes suggested that blonde women enjoy life more, but radiate youthfulness and are more romantic. This is of course doubtful, but the fact is that this line of thought does exist in our society.
Sexual dimorphism
Heterosexual men and women are particularly attracted to certain characteristics that are gender specific. This is called sexual dimorphism. It means that a man finds exaggerated feminine qualities attractive. You can think of a woman with large breasts and long hair. Women, on the other hand, are mainly attracted to tall, muscular men with body hair. Sexual dimorphism actually means that as a heterosexual man you are attracted to everything that is not masculine, and as a heterosexual woman you are attracted to everything that is not feminine. Men’s preference for long blonde hair can therefore be explained by sexual dimorphism. This effect is probably less strong among homosexual men and women. A gay man is no longer attracted to a man who looks more feminine. The same goes for a gay woman.
The future for blonde people
It is certain that naturally blonde people will be seen less and less often. The question, however, is how long the blonde gene can survive. Scientists expect that in 200 hundred years all blondes will be extinct. The last blonde people in the year 2200 will probably be seen in Finland, as that is where the percentage of blonde people is highest.
Famous blonde women
Which famous blonde women and men can and have been admired on television and the silver screen? Think, for example, of Marilyn Monroe and Brad Pitt. David Beckham and Alex Pettyfer also have blonde hair. Closer to home we of course find our own blonde Doutzen Kroes. The following models, stars and famous people also have blonde hair:
- Uma Thurman
- Jessica Stam
- Ashley Olsen
- Chris Pine
- Paul Walker
- Chris Hemsworth
- Cameron Diaz
- Christina Aquilera
Bleach your hair
Many people would like to make their hair a shade lighter. Lighter hair is associated with youthfulness and freshness. In the summer, the hair usually discolours naturally. The sun (UV radiation) destroys the pigment. If there is less pigment in the hair, or if pigment has changed in structure, the hair will appear blonder. Excessive sunbathing can discolour the hair. However, most people want to bleach their hair a little faster. This can be done in a number of ways.
Different types of blond hair
Blonde hair is of course a very broad concept. What exactly is blonde hair? If you ask people around you what exactly they think of blonde hair, you will notice that you get many different types of answers. One person thinks that a hair color that looks brown still looks blond, while another considers dark blonde to be brown. Most people in the Netherlands will probably regard white blonde and honey blonde as real blonde. People in countries where blonde hair is much less common will probably consider ash blonde and dark blonde to be the real blonde. In addition to the blonde colors just mentioned, you also have cinnamon blonde, sun blonde, platinum blonde (think Barbie), copper blonde, light brown blonde and golden blonde.
Guhl Color Enhancer Highlighting 00
Use hydrogen peroxide (for example Guhl Color Stiffener Lightening 00). The active substance decolorizes the hair. Decolorization often means that the hair becomes blonder, but it can also turn out differently. If there is a lot of other pigment in the hair (for example the red pigment), the red pigment may suddenly become much more visible if you bleach it with, for example, Guhl’s product. The result is not blonde, but orange/red/yellow hair.
Bleaching hair with lemons (lemon juice)
You can also bleach your hair naturally with lemon juice. Lemon juice has an extremely low pH value (about 2). A low pH means that it is very acidic. The acids in lemon affect the hair, but also the pigment in your hair. The pigment will disappear (destroyed) by the acid. If you sprinkle lemon juice over your hair (evenly!) and then sit in the bright sun for an hour, the hair will discolour. Sunlight causes the hair to discolour more quickly.
Blonde hair with chamomile
For people who do not like lemon juice, there is also chamomile. We all know chamomile. Chamomile can cause the hair to become approximately one or two shades blonder (brighter). Boil water in a pan and let the chamomile steep in the water. Let the pan sit overnight so it can steep well. The next day, strain the chamomile flowers from the water (the tea). You put the tea in a bottle or mix it with a three-quarter tube of cream rinse. Every time you take a shower you can use your homemade rinse. With liberal use, your hair will quickly become blonder.