Children with Blond Hair

[Ánleifr]

Why is it some children are born with blond hair (sometimes bleach blond or almost white) and as a child the hair begins to turn to brown? Other babies are born with brown hair or the hair stays blond. Any thoughts?

[aimar]

addaptation to the climate, maybe?
I don't know the answer, but it's a very common phenonom in Portugal.
I was born with blonde hair, by the time I was 6 it was brown, now it's dark brown.

[Stefan]

If I were to make an educated guess, it probably has to do with melanin (and other pigment) production. The older you are the more exposed you were to sunlight, and therefore certain genes activate releasing pigment. Hair is made up of dead cells, like the epidermis. I have no idea why the effects are permanent, though.

[Peyrol]

Why is it some children are born with blond hair (sometimes bleach blond or almost white) and as a child the hair begins to turn to brown? Other babies are born with brown hair or the hair stays blond. Any thoughts?

I'm/was one fo these.

I think that is a matter of subrace-mixing.

[aimar]

I'm/was one fo these.

I think that is a matter of subrace-mixing.

I doubt it.
Most portuguese are unmixed, even subracially, and this is a very common phenomenon around here.

[Ánleifr]

I just wondered if it was a meta-ethnicity or phenotype thing.

[Smaug]

I'm/was one fo these.

I think that is a matter of subrace-mixing.

Yeah, me too.
I had a "Finnish Blonde" hair, and now it is something between Dark Blonde and Light Brown. But I don't think it has anything to do with subrace-mixing..

[Corvus]

This is just a natural mutation. Just like some people get grey or white hair when they age.

[Ánleifr]

This is just a natural mutation. Just like some people get grey or white hair when they age.

but what I find interesting is that it's always the blond to brown and never brown or dark to blond??

[Corvus]

but what I find interesting is that it's always the blond to brown and never brown or dark to blond??

That`s right. But you can also say: Why do turn hair white and not vice versa. It is due to the melanin production. It is strong in the first period of life and falls down quite dramiatcly when you age.
If you expose your hair to sun extensivly it can happen that your hair turns fairer because your melanin level drop.

[Ánleifr]

That`s right. But you can also say: Why do turn hair white and not vice versa. It is due to the melanin production. It is strong in the first period of life and falls down quite dramiatcly when you age.
If you expose your hair to sun extensivly it can happen that your hair turns fairer because your melanin level drop.

thanks, but then how come not everyone is born with blond hair as everyone's hair turns grey or white?

[Corvus]

thanks, but then how come not everyone is born with blond hair as everyone's hair turns grey or white?

That`s not the case. Some keep their natural hair until death and some get bald. It´s all a question of genetics. We are all individuals with different genes.

[kabeiros]

Most people of South European origin who are born blonde become brown-haired while they grow. Maybe adaptation to hot climate?

[Damião de Góis]

Yeah... even him:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fpYHoIDql-g/TLY0jCOmOYI/AAAAAAAAAGk/2JzmCA_99S0/s1600/Figo+pequenininho.jpg

[Paluga]

It's the same with other people. My hair was light brown when I was young and now it's dark brown and nearly black.

[Ánleifr]

so I guess this isn't tied to any one meta-ethnicity? My guess is it happens in all European groups....Celtic, Germanic, Romance, Slavic?

[Peyrol]

I doubt it.
Most portuguese are unmixed, even subracially, and this is a very common phenomenon around here.


Yeah, me too.
I had a "Finnish Blonde" hair, and now it is something between Dark Blonde and Light Brown. But I don't think it has anything to do with subrace-mixing..

Many dark haired people here were dark haired also in the childhood.

[Damião de Góis]

Many dark haired people here were dark haired also in the childhood.

It's the same here. My school picture should give a good idea:

------

I was light brown by age 6, and blonde as a baby. I think blondism is more common at an early age but then hair darkens quickly to most people here.

[gold_fenix]

it is something related with caucasoid

[Stefan]

My hair was actually darker as a baby, then it lightened a bit as a young child, and since then it's darkened back to how it was when I was 1-2 years old. My eyes on the other-hand lacked pigment (gave an odd blue-brown color) when I was a newborn and darkened after a few weeks. This is also common among caucasoids.

[MST3K]

I had blonde hair and blue eyes from my birth until I was 6 years old. Now I have dark brown hair and green eyes.

[Artek]

I was rather strawberry blonde as a kid, then I started to darken gradually to brownish shades and now I'm dark brown.

[Pretan]

I was light blonde as a child, it gradually got darker. By the time I had reached my early teens it was dirty blonde, now it is light brown. :coffee:

[Dacul]

I had light blonde hair when I was 1-2-3-4-5-6 years old,now I have dark brown with a slight reddish nuance hair.
Lol.
Also have red threads of hair in my beard.
Me<- turning into a celt in denial (I am also tall and with long limbs thin and with long face).