Good news for you S&M freaks — If you’re looking for a gimp who can take a beating over the long haul, always bet on red.

A new series of studies from the Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction at Aalborg University in Demark found that people with red hair have different levels of sensitivity to pain. Scientists weren’t able to determine the exact cause but believe it has something to do with their genetic makeup, specifically the one that prevents redheads from producing melanin or the pigment that gives people other colors of hairs.

It doesn’t mean redheads are completely impervious to pain. They just respond to it differently than people with other hair colors. For instance, one of the studies found redheads were less sensitive to stinging feelings on the skin. However, they were more sensitive to pain derived from cold temperatures and toothaches.

No word on how they respond when called ‘a ginger.’ We’d run our own tests but we bruise easily.

[Via Gizmodo]

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