This Is The Rarest Hair And Eye Color Combination

You're more likely to be struck by lightning than to meet someone with this striking look!

Brown eyes, hazel eyes, green eyes, blue eyes — these are the standard shades for the windows to our soul. But what hair color most typically accompanies each eye color? We’ve all heard of the blonde-hair-and-blue-eyed combo, as well as the brown hair and hazel eyes.

But, what’s the rarest combination to actually see together?


According to Medical Daily, the most unlikely pairing is red hair and blue eyes. The traits for both red hair and blue eyes are recessive, so the chances of these two coming together are very rare.

Only 1 to 2 percent of the population has red hair and only 17 percent have blue eyes. Now, we’re not mathematicians, but the odds of both occurring simultaneously do seem pretty darn slim!


To put it in perspective, you’re more likely to get struck by lightning — .03 percent chance — than you are to meet a person with red hair and blue eyes (coming in at .017 percent). How crazy is that?


So, if not blue, what is the most common eye color for those with auburn locks? Redheads most typically have brown, hazel or green eyes.


Interested in learning some other fun facts about redheads? Here are just a few:

1. Redheads Go Gray Slowly

Red strands hold their pigment a lot longer than other colors, so redheads don’t have to be concerned with graying. Their ginger locks will simply turn more rose gold with age and eventually they’ll eventually turn completely white.

Talk about getting better with age!


2. Red-Haired Emojis Have Arrived

Redheads are unique, and therefore, probably used to feeling a little excluded (those with blue eyes even more so). But red-haired emojis recently hit smartphones everywhere, so your texting’s about to get even more inclusive!


3. Redheads Produce Their Own Vitamin D

According to a study by ScotlandsDNAproject, those with red hair can create more vitamin D in low-light conditions than those who have darker skin or hair. So, there’s less worry of a vitamin D deficiency for redheads.

sunshine photo
Getty Images | Jeff J Mitchell

4. Red Hair Is Thicker

Redheads have fewer strands of hair on their heads.

On average, they have 90,000 strands, while blondes have 110,000 and brunettes have 140,000. But the strands that they do have are thicker, and therefore make up for the lower volume.


5. Gingers Are More Sensitive To Temperature

The gene redheads carry, MC1R, may cause the body’s temperature-detecting gene to become over-activated more quickly, making those with red manes more sensitive to cold temperatures, according to a study. If you have red hair and find yourself getting cold easier than most, now you know why!


There are pros and cons to being a redhead, but if you have red hair and blue eyes, you’re basically the unicorn of humans. And that’s very cool, right?