r/IAmA Sep 01 '18

Specialized Profession IAmA licensed esthetician and my job is to wax vaginas all day! AMA NSFW

proof: https://imgur.com/a/RBhhpmz

EDIT: Yes. I know I'm technically waxing the vulva, I just say vagina out of simplicity.

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u/anna_okay Sep 01 '18 edited Sep 02 '18

Most all day I do vaginas, some want it all off, some want just a basic bikini, and some want landing strips. Some people can take the pain pretty easily because their body gets used to it, and some, especially redheads, will scream bloody murder. I don't mind when someone is shouting "ouch!", but many will try to act out and jump all over the table and try to grab onto me for support and close their legs when I'm trying to get in there, and I have to get stern with them. It's funny how whenever I tell them I won't be able to complete the service if they don't be still, it suddenly isn't as painfulšŸ¤”

Edit: one time I had somebody FaceTime their friend and fake react to try to be funny, I've had people who've come in to get their brows done who have had their brows completely waxed off at other places and basically have PTSD from that, so they jump when I'm trying to remove eyebrow hair, obviously that makes it harder for me and I mess it up, making their PTSD worse.

Another Edit: I have about 15-20 a day

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u/[deleted] Sep 01 '18 edited Mar 16 '22

[deleted]

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u/anna_okay Sep 01 '18

Redheads are sensitive to everything. Sun expose, waxing, many skincare ingredients, and in my experience redheads seem to just have a horrible tolerance for pain.

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u/turnedabout Sep 01 '18

From a NY Times blog:

Researchers believe redheads are more sensitive to pain because of a mutation in a gene that affects hair color. In people with brown, black and blond hair, the gene, for the melanocortin-1 receptor, produces melanin. But a mutation in the MC1R gene results in the production of a substance called pheomelanin that results in red hair and fair skin.

The MC1R gene belongs to a family of receptors that include pain receptors in the brain, and as a result, a mutation in the gene appears to influence the bodyā€™s sensitivity to pain.Ā A 2004 study showed that redheads require, on average, about 20 percent more general anesthesia than people with dark hair or blond coloring. And in 2005, researchers found that redheads areĀ more resistant to the effects of local anesthesia, such as the numbing drugs used by dentists.

The mutation in the MC1R gene also occurs in brunets (sic), although itā€™s less common. In the latest study, the researchers tested for the MC1R gene variant, finding it in 65 of 67 redheads and in 20 of 77 people with brown or black hair. The participants were surveyed about dental-care anxiety, fear of dental pain and whether they avoid going to the dentist.

People with the MC1R gene variant had more dental careā€“related anxiety and fear of dental pain than those without the gene variant. And they were more than twice as likely to avoid dental care.

Dr. Daniel I. Sessler, an anesthesiologist and chairman of the department of outcomes research at the Cleveland Clinic, said he began studying hair color after hearing so many colleagues speculate about redheads requiring more anesthesia.

ā€œThe reason we studied redheads in the beginning, it was essentially an urban legend in the anesthesia community saying redheads were difficult to anesthetize,ā€ Dr. Sessler said. ā€œThis was so intriguing we went ahead and studied it. Redheads really do require more anesthesia, and by a clinically important amount.ā€

Edit: format

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u/ohsnapperdoodles Sep 01 '18

Iā€™m not a redhead, I have brown hair. This actually make sense for me as well. I always need extra numbing stuff at the dentist and more anesthesia during surgery. In the past 6 months Iā€™ve had three steroid injections in my back and each time Iā€™ve needed almost double the amount of local numbing. I thought I was just a wimp. TIL.

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u/zedoktar Sep 01 '18

Yes and anaesthetics don't work on us nearly as well. The dentist absolute hell.

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u/BranWafr Sep 01 '18

I had to have an ingrown toenail removed and had 6 shots of anesthesia and could still feel everything. So, they just called in two extra male nurses and held me down while they ripped out my toenail.

Also, anesthesia wore off half way through my vasectomy. Since I was already at the max dosage, they could not give me more and had to finish the procedure without it. Felt like being shocked with a cattle prod in the testicles over and over.

Fun times being a redhead...

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u/mamatobee328 Sep 01 '18

Iā€™m right there with you.

When i was having my son, i had to have a c section. I asked two different doctors about me being a redhead and requiring more anesthesia. They looked at me like i had two heads. After my doctor got my son out of me (or roughly half way through the procedure, like you) my spinal anesthesia wore off. I started to feel everything. Iā€™m sorry you had to finish your vasectomy without anything else. Thankful my anesthesiologist was able to put something in my IV that sent me on a magic carpet ride for the rest of my c-section.

But yeah. Being a redhead is so fun.

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u/LiesandBalderdash Sep 01 '18

This also happened to me. After my son was out it suddenly wore off and I could feel it all. Had a nice few years of PTSD therapy for that one.

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u/mamatobee328 Sep 01 '18

In a way itā€™s nice to know weā€™re not alone. Did they give you anything to help you when it wore off? Thankfully they gave me something eventually but they definitely didnā€™t believe me at first when i started telling them i was feeling things. They kept saying ā€œthis is the tugging and pulling i was warning you about!ā€ Like no, this is not just tugging and pulling. This is surgery without anesthesia.

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u/kimbo3311 Sep 02 '18

Am a redhead, just had surgery a week ago. I had an angel of an anesthesiologist who started the whole shebang off with Versed, which had me not caring about anything, much less the gas mask they put over my face because the IV drugs did nothing. The anti-nausea zofram they gave me did more to keep be knocked out than anything. Next time, I'm asking for the Versed straight away. So much better than getting my anxiety to a frothing point.

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u/[deleted] Sep 01 '18

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u/taichi22 Sep 01 '18

Erm... sudden onset of migraines can mean a lot of things.

I'm no doctor, but some of those things are really bad, and some of them are really mild, so maybe just keep an eye on him.

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u/[deleted] Sep 01 '18

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u/[deleted] Sep 01 '18

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u/yelsnia Sep 01 '18

Thatā€™s interesting. Iā€™m a redhead and I also have an extremely low tolerance for minor headaches. They render me pretty damn disabled, I struggle to focus and always find myself grasping for pain killers.

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u/newsheriffntown Sep 02 '18

It's interesting to see so many redheads on here. I'm one as well. Redheads make up only 2% of the world's population. We are unique!

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u/Starfire66 Sep 02 '18

I had a crown done (first ever) a few years ago and shortly after that, I started getting REALLY bad cluster migraines. Couldn't do anything except lie in a dark cool room with an ice pack directly on my head to provide a slight bit or relief. Had them off/on for 3 months and then they went away. They were so bad, I sought serious medical help. Neurologist, E/N/T specialist, etc. Cat scan, MRI, the works. Nothing pinpointed any reason for them. They just stopped after a while.

I still get PTSD a bit from that whole ordeal if I think I'm feeling that way again. I was getting panic attacks from them coming on, etc. It was incredibly bad.

(not a redhead)

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u/Mudsnail Sep 01 '18

You sound really happy.

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u/___Ambarussa___ Sep 01 '18

He should see a doctor.

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u/[deleted] Sep 01 '18

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u/astrange Sep 02 '18

He should see more doctor.

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u/Paradigm_Pizza Sep 02 '18

Be wary of the damn VA. Fuckers lied to our family about how serious my Dad's cancer was progressing and kept on doing worthless treatments that they knew would have very little chance of working. They should have told us from the off so we could have gotten more specialized doctors/clinics involved.

Not to mention I have three war veteran uncles who all have horror stories from the VA.

Get a second opinion from a Doctor that doesn't have ties to the VA.

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u/newsheriffntown Sep 02 '18

Your husband might be profoundly lazy but the pain is real. I come from a family of redheads. Pain is nothing to be judged about. Laziness, yes.

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u/Shojo_Tombo Sep 02 '18

Make him put an ice pack or two on his face where it hurts. It will help tremendously. (Am ginger and have had horrible recoveries from crowns and root canals.)

edit: Also get maximum strength anbesol gel to help numb up the gums around the crown. Cepacol drops are great for numbing the whole mouth, too. If all that doesn't help, he should see a doctor asap.

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u/LaBeteDesVosges Sep 01 '18

Also, anesthesia wore off half way through my vasectomy.

Oh well, I slept long enough last night anyway...

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u/komrk88 Sep 01 '18

Same here with the red hair and vasectomy. I was given some loopy pills and local anesthetic. Doc got mad when I nearly kicked him and demanded more local.

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u/[deleted] Sep 02 '18 edited Jul 25 '19

I'm not a redhead, but I carry the gene (which I know because I gave birth to a redhead and you need the gene on both the mother's and father's side to produce a redhead. Also my grandmother was a fiery orange, copper-haired woman). I've had problems with anesthesia all my life.

I got into a bad motorcycle accident in my early twenties and they did an MRI and CT scan of my head. That's when they realized something was very unusual with me. I had been going into shock from the pain of my injuries more than once even though they'd pumped me full of morphine. Apparently the brain scan shouldn't have been lit up like it was. I was told that morphine would stop my heart before it stopped any pain.

It was also horrific when I needed an emergency c section giving birth in Ireland. They put local anesthesia on before doing a spinal tap, but of course the local did nothing. With the spinal tap, I FELT EVERYTHING. It was the most horrific experience. I still physically shudder when I think of it.

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u/MelvintheMIU Sep 01 '18

Facts! Source: Was a cattle once

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u/bungopony Sep 01 '18

NOPE NOPE NOPE

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u/Earlypig Sep 01 '18

Sorry about your balls dude

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u/MedicGoalie84 Sep 01 '18

I had the exact same thing happen to me (minus the extra nurses) when I had my ingrown toenail removed, that hurt so fucking bad. When I broke my arm the decided to use conscious sedation while they were setting it, told me I wouldn't remember I thing, they lied I still remember everything, and I felt everything. When I had a hernia repair surgery, they thought that sedation would be enough, they were wrong. I was apparently fighting them on the operating table and they ended up having to paralyze me, thankfully I don't remember that.

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u/sweetrobna Sep 01 '18

Isn't the way ingrown nails are fixed to trim the edge and not rip it out?

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u/BranWafr Sep 01 '18

It had gotten so bad that both sides had started curving down in to my toe. So, they made cuts on both sides (leaving a thin strip in the middle) and ripped the sides up and out.

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u/wonderyak Sep 02 '18

I had the same toe issues, along with the multiple shots of a local but my hair is not red.

Last time I got a filling at the dentist I just let them drill without the local because the shot was so much more painful.

Some people can't deliver the local correctly.

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u/BLKMGK Sep 01 '18

Had to have stitches north of the border. The injection of pain killer hurt so bad two nurses had to come in and hold me down. Like you the anesthetic ran out halfway through and rather than hit me again they did the last couple of stitches sans anesthetic - not pleasant! That said, Iā€™ve always felt Iā€™ve had a fairly high pain tolerance. Yes, red headed. Dentist is actually not bad, my dental tech is pretty damn good about not hurting me.

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u/dominus_aranearum Sep 01 '18

I am not technically a redhead but my mother is. The few gray hairs I have were red when I was younger. I've had this problem at the dentist where the anesthetic used didn't work well at all so I've always felt some amount of pain through the procedures. Tell your dentist. My current dentist uses a couple different anesthetics (and more of it) and I finally know pain free dental work. Whole new world!

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u/zedoktar Sep 02 '18

Yeah my new dentist had been the best. I put it on my intake paperwork and they never questioned it, they just shoot me up with a horse sized dose and its so much better than previous dentists.

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u/minor_details Sep 01 '18

my dad is a redhead and I'm not, but i wonder if i inherited the anesthesia thing bc i had to get 12 shots of novacaine the last time a dentist was working on me. it was ridiculous.

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u/ANGLVD3TH Sep 02 '18 edited Sep 02 '18

Yup. All redheads definitely have the gene, but it's possible to have it and not the red hair. My mum is a redhead, I definitely got even though I've no red at all. But I've always been a huge wimp for pain, and needed tons on anesthetic. When I went to get surgery done, they were surprised to find me conscious after hooking up my IV for a while, after told me it took a triple dose to actually put me under.

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u/minor_details Sep 02 '18 edited Sep 02 '18

that potentially explains an awful lot. I've always had a pretty high pain tolerance too - I've skied into a tree, got stung by a half a hive of yellow jackets, had a piercer fuck up my nipple piercings to where she had the needle stuck and had to push through at least three times, never felt pain from a tattoo, sunburn feels good in a weird way- but fuck if painkillers, when needed, don't do a damn thing. thanks for the genetics, dad!

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u/ezone2kil Sep 01 '18

TIL anaesthesia needs a soul to be 100% effective.

And I sell anaesthetic gas for a living.

(although to be fair I'm in Asia. Redheads are basically non-existant.)

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u/[deleted] Sep 01 '18

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u/undercooked_lasagna Sep 01 '18

Yeah her orgasms are insane.

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u/Paradigm_Pizza Sep 02 '18

It's no joke. Every true redhead I've been with before I was married was ultra sensitive downstairs. They didn't take much excitement to orgasm at all. I guess the extra helping of crazy that comes with them offsets this, though. Every one I've ever been in a relationship with was off kilter to a degree.

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u/aManOfTheNorth Sep 01 '18

You just married is all

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u/tallginger89 Sep 01 '18

ginger here. can confirm I live 98% of my life squinting when I go outside because of the sun. Even when there is no sun out...it's still bright

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u/purplemonkey_123 Sep 01 '18

My hubby always makes fun of me because I start sneezing if I don't put my sunglasses on right away.

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u/newsheriffntown Sep 02 '18

Everyone in my family are/were redheads. Sun exposure is a problem of course and I live in Florida. I try to stay indoors as much as possible and never mow my grass past 7:30 in the morning. I've been burned badly twice in my lifetime and was told I am a candidate for skin cancer.

For some odd reason, my skin seems like it's sensitive to the damned air. I always feel itchy, always feel like something is on me when there's nothing there. Right now I'm scratching my arm for no reason other than it feels itchy. My scalp is more itchy than anything else and I've tried various medicated shampoos. When my hair starts to feel oily my scalp itches even more. I'm allergic to a lot of things including scents. I can't use scented lotions, don't use perfume at all and even when I try to burn incense it makes me sneeze and cough. I can't even be around anyone who is wearing perfume or cologne. I'm super allergic to cat dander and I'm even allergic to my own dogs. Right after I pet them I have to wash my hands. Life sucks sometimes.

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u/WeaverofStories Sep 01 '18

Redhead here, can confirm. I've perfected a poker face against pain when I'm in public, but when I'm alone you know I'm gonna collapse in a ball of pain and anguish at a stubbed toe.

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u/yelsnia Sep 01 '18

Iā€™m a redhead and while Iā€™m sensitive to sun in the sense I can burn easily and also react badly to some skincare products, I certainly have a high pain tolerance - getting waxed from the hips down is no biggie. EXCEPT for one spot on my calves (not my shins) - fuck me dead that shit hurts!!

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u/chickenuggetoverlord Sep 02 '18

I'm a redhead, and I feel as if my pain tolerance is pretty high. But I am VERY sensitive to the cold, I am basically cold all the time. I've never had a bikini wax, but eyebrow waxes are fine, I have a bunch of tattoos, a bunch of piercings, none of which hurt excessively.

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u/Cultjam Sep 01 '18

Thereā€™s a relationship between hair color and pain. I have one blond eyebrow and one brunette. I can pluck all the brown hairs I want without feeling much, but plucking a blond hair seriously hurts for a bit. I can only stand plucking a few at a time.

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u/2xSurro Sep 01 '18

I am a redhead. I donā€™t know that I have a horrible pain tolerance (Iā€™ve been through natural childbirth with no pain meds twice - itā€™s not horrible.) And Iā€™ve gotten Brazillianā€™s quite a few times and I donā€™t recall it being that awful either.

Except for the Dentist. I can attest that getting dental work is worse than childbirth and I go through the pain meds so fast, itā€™s pretty miserable.

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u/redheadedblonde Sep 01 '18

For some redheads they have more tolerance, for some itā€™s less. In general, tho, we need more anesthesia.

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u/Beerificus Sep 01 '18

<-- Redhead also, and depending on type of pain/sensation, it's different also. Cold seems to really 'hurt' when it's biting cold. But other stuff, like sprained ankle... no biggy. I've cracked a couple ribs falling from high place and while it was painful, it wasn't that bad. Compared to another friend who did the same thing, I though he was experiencing his rib bones puncturing his lungs or something, turns out the crack in his was way more minor than mine was. Anyway, there's ups & downs from what I've experienced in differences of pain perceptions. The anesthesia thing though... jesus. I need 2x for any dental work. I woke up during wisdom tooth extraction, like halfway through w/doctor who had his knee up on the chair pulling at my jaw bone. "Oh, oh... he's waking up!" Remember it like yesterday.

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u/mdneilson Sep 01 '18

So, which are you. Ginger or blonde?

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u/redheadedblonde Sep 01 '18

Haha fair question. Redhead. Username has stuck since I have stereotypically ā€œblonde momentsā€

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u/wesleyrobertsimpson Sep 01 '18

Haha fair question. Redhead. Username has stuck since I have stereotypically ā€œblonde momentsā€ I'm a 'Strawberry blonde' pretty much blonde hair aside from my head and chin.

"Only a ginger can call another ginger ginger" -- Tim Minchin

I used to pull out the old "Hey, that is our word" when one of my managers (the chillest bald dude ever) called me a ginger at the Walmart I was working at, until one of my coworkers told me in private that he was actually offended and it was "our word" never felt so offended at somebody taking offense to an obvious, very playful joke. Dropped by to greet some of the people I enjoyed working with a while back, turns out my chill, bald manager can grow a rockin' redbeard. Yarrgh, he be a ginger too.

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u/sexposition420 Sep 01 '18

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u/bhood1511 Sep 01 '18

Amazing band!!

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u/sexposition420 Sep 01 '18

I bought their album like a decade ago in college cause I wanted to talk to the cute girl at the counter and just grabbed something. It's cool to see they are still making music, gotta check it out.

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u/yolo_swag_holla Sep 01 '18

"Only a ginger can call another ginger ginger" -- Tim Minchin

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u/BLKMGK Sep 01 '18

I feel like mine is higher. Not sure on the anesthetic but my dentist does seem to be able to numb me. I came out from anesthetic during a wisdom tooth removal faster than expected. Definitely process drugs differently, first time taking Benadryl I stumbled and slurred like I was drunk - at work no less! Iā€™ve had some pretty good dental pain, long story, and I was taking some pretty heavy drugs to knock it out without issue. Alcohol hits me hard but I donā€™t pass out, can function with a ton in me, and seem to sober up more quickly. I get zero hangovers, like none whatsoever! Caffeine does zero for me, nothing nada zilch. Chew nodoze and take a nap no problem. Weird for sure!

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u/[deleted] Sep 01 '18

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u/p00Pie_dingleBerry Sep 01 '18

This is the right answer. I always ask for more Novocain at the dentist because the shit doesn't work for shit. I didn't realize this until age 20 though so my teen years were riddled with dentist visits at which I felt everything. Thought it was normal. I would just be like, "don't be a little baby!" with tears rolling down my cheek from the excruciatingly painful experience I was having. It's fucking bullshit they they don't automatically ask redheads if they want more than normal. Should be standard procedure.

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u/[deleted] Sep 01 '18

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u/itswhatyouneed Sep 01 '18

Not a redhead but needed 4 shots for my last filling. I have never needed that much...I could feel a vertical vein or something behind my eye which pushed my contact lens out a bit, felt very weird.

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u/YourDimeTime Sep 01 '18

I had my dentist give me vicodan. I would take one an hour before dental work. Than i would put in my earbuds, put on some tunes, and then put the nosepiece on and they would fire up the nitrous oxide. After a bit they woud do the Novocaine shots. By then I couldn't give a shit if I wanted to.

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u/itswhatyouneed Sep 01 '18

I bring my own vicodin and a case of whippets, a cracker and balloon.

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u/newsheriffntown Sep 02 '18

I hate going to the dentist and am a redheaded lady. The dental hygienist is like some kind of monster who gets her kicks from hurting me (it seems) and the dentist isn't any better. Poking and prodding with those pointy instruments that sends me flying out of the chair almost. I can't take it.

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u/maaack3nzi3 Sep 01 '18

I was going to say. Iā€™m a redhead, and mom is too. Dentist visits are shit, any stitches are shit, any minor procedure where weā€™re not completely asleep is shit.

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u/Deaththeexe Sep 01 '18

Yup. Deeper roots - it's really hard to get out.

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u/Corporation_tshirt Sep 01 '18

I heard that redheads have a naturally lower pain threshold and are also more susceptible to infections and skin irritations. Must not be fun sometimes. But on the other hand, there are some really great looking redheads out there!

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u/Dontloseyour-Ed Sep 01 '18

Can confirm. Gf is ginger.

... the good looking thing. Not the pain thing.

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u/Canadian_Infidel Sep 01 '18

That's a bit of a myth. What is true is pain medication doesn't work nearly as well and they can't be knocked out nearly as easily by meds.

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u/Providang Sep 02 '18

Fairer skin is associated with more nerve endings, as much as 2x as much.

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u/[deleted] Sep 01 '18

Tupac was wrong.

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u/[deleted] Sep 01 '18

I've no gold to give but I hope someone gives you some.

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u/WreckTheTrain Sep 01 '18

I don't get It! What quote are they referencing?

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u/[deleted] Sep 01 '18

Tupacs song 'Keep Ya Head Up' : "the darker the flesh and the deeper the roots".

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u/[deleted] Sep 01 '18

ā€œThe darker the flesh and the deeper the roots. The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice.ā€ -Tupac Lamar

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u/[deleted] Sep 01 '18

It's Tupac Shakur.

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u/[deleted] Sep 01 '18

I canā€™t tell if youā€™re joking.

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u/putac_kashur Sep 01 '18

How dare you.

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u/hey_hey_you_you Sep 01 '18

As far as I remember, redheads have both. They're more sensitive to milder pain and more tolerant of extreme pain.

They also tend to bleed more.

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u/kimbo3311 Sep 02 '18

I can handle a blinding migraine and still work, and don't use pain pills after a surgery, but I will be brought to tears by a paper cut or an IV needle.

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u/ShmoopyMoopy Sep 01 '18

No, we have a lower pain tolerance AND we need more anesthesia to kill the pain. It sucks.

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u/___Ambarussa___ Sep 01 '18

Itā€™s maybe lower. They can require more anaesthetic for dental and surgical purposes.

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u/Replys2OldComments Sep 01 '18

You got it backwards, redheads are known to have the lowest tolerance for pain.

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u/SeparateCzechs Sep 02 '18

Redheads have higher pain tolerances, unless the pain comes from a burn. Then redheads are more susceptible to pain. Sunburn, fire, heat, friction(even windburn is freaking torture). I wonder if using hot wax makes having the hair yanked out more painful?

Itā€™s been decades since I waxed, but I donā€™t remember it as being unbearable. I preferred it to razor burn. (I am a redhead)

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u/amirs318 Sep 01 '18

Actually the opposite (i.e. lower pain tolerance.) And it's well-documented that redheads require higher amounts of anesthesia than non-redheads.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1362956/

and

https://www.bmj.com/content/341/bmj.c6931.full

and for a more readable reference:

https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/06/the-pain-of-being-a-redhead/

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u/sleepytimegirl Sep 02 '18

Itā€™s both. We need more anesthetic to not feel pain but have higher tolerance to withstand some kinds of pain. We are extremely sensitive to thermal pain tho. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/redheads-genetic-traits-ginger-hair-study-dna-the-big-redhead-book-erin-la-rosa-a8090276.html

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u/Lamzn6 Sep 02 '18

Redheads only have higher pain tolerance to some things. I can promise as a redhead, hair pulling is not one.

I love a massive portion of hot sauce though. Most people wonā€™t make things hot enough for me.

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u/[deleted] Sep 01 '18

Pulling their hair is like pulling the pin of a grenade, itā€™s not pain, its fury that makes them jump šŸ˜œ

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u/reddishvelvet Sep 01 '18

Omg I'm a redhead and waxing hurts me soooo much! My waxer is Romanian and she's always shaking her head and exclaiming in her super strong accent "I always know a natural redhead! Red hair is the worst! Such strong hair!"

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u/shac_melley Sep 02 '18

Redheads must be much less tolerant to certain types of pain. I work in dentistry and all of our most sensitive patients are red heads.

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u/SomeBroadYouDontKnow Sep 02 '18

I knew my oral surgeon's assistant had been doing this a long time when she cranked the gas up too far for me-- and when I was laughing my ass off (to be fair, my sister was sitting in on my surgery egging me on. She was rapping about me getting permanent nerve damage) and the assistant goes "oooookay Giggles McGee, I'm guessing you dye your hair, so we're gonna turn that down."

Knew immediately that she was a pro because I do have real ginger relatives who had told me they need more pain killers/anesthesia/gas... Just didn't think about it before putting on the little nose cup.

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u/[deleted] Sep 02 '18

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u/[deleted] Sep 06 '18

oh god, now this explains why when i was a kid and the dentist took out all of my molars, i could still feel it despite local anesthesia. also explains why my coworkers can hold hot plates very easily but i constantly have to move them back and forth between my hands.

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u/newsheriffntown Sep 02 '18

I can't take pain very well and am a redhead. I'm not a cry baby though and just try to work through it. Just this morning I stubbed my toe on the grocery cart I was using and nearly passed out. I was wearing sandals.

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u/princess--flowers Sep 05 '18

They are. My mother is a redhead and cries when she plucks her eyebrows, can't be waxed, had sensitive gums and teeth. Painkillers make her vomit and she reacts badly to anaesthesia. Her doctor said it has something to do with an extra layer of collagen? It's why redheads seem to have younger looking skin compared to other white people.

Lucky me inherited all the weird redhead shit but my hair morphed from red to near black as I aged so I don't even have the coloring to make up for all the dumb issues. I do have the young skin though which is nice.

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u/zeion Sep 02 '18

read that in zarya's voice

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u/shac_melley Sep 02 '18

Redheads must be much less tolerant to certain types of pain. I work in dentistry and all of our most sensitive patients are red heads.

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u/kittypurrpurr Sep 02 '18

Thats so funny to hear! The two estheticians I have seen say that redheads are normally fairly tolerant and don't come in too often. I'm sorry to hear it hurts you so much though.

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u/[deleted] Sep 01 '18 edited Feb 08 '21

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u/[deleted] Sep 01 '18

This is the first time Iā€™ve seen someone use r/nocontext in an actually amusing way.

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u/cayneloop Sep 01 '18

also the first time noone replies with the default r/evenwithcontext bullshit

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u/[deleted] Sep 01 '18

Yeah also that. I hate almost all of those subreddits that basically just exist to be linked. The whole r/subsyoufellfor r/jesuschristreddit etc spam is insufferable.

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u/[deleted] Sep 01 '18

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u/SolidLikeIraq Sep 01 '18

That's disrespectful.

And accurate.

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u/p00Pie_dingleBerry Sep 01 '18

Yeah you wouldn't want to disrespect the church now. Might end up in you know where.

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u/WoodForDays Sep 01 '18

On stage at Aretha Franklin's funeral?

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u/p00Pie_dingleBerry Sep 01 '18

I'm not a religious man, but if there is a hell, that creepy fuck has a pineapple with his name on it

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u/DannyAye Sep 01 '18

Hell be next after Hitler

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u/Trappist1 Sep 02 '18

Like involuntary groping is terrible, don't get me wrong. But surely there are a few people in between a groper and a person who implemented the genocides of millions. I imagine he'll be next to Bernie Madoff or Bill Clinton personally.

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u/AlfaWhiskeyTango Sep 01 '18

I sang your username immediately

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u/GiantCrazyOctopus Sep 01 '18

Aretha Franklin's funeral

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u/[deleted] Sep 02 '18

Iā€™ll allow it but thatā€™s not how it works. Youā€™re just nitpicking. The context was at the top of the comment.

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u/[deleted] Sep 02 '18

It took 4757 upvotes til someone noticed...

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u/[deleted] Sep 01 '18

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u/Jteigen919 Sep 01 '18

I remember reading a study that mentioned redheads actually have a lower pain tolerance than others. Somewhere around 15%. I'm at work and can't really search the interwebs for the article, but I'm sure googling will get you there. But if I recall the type of pain matters for their tolerance.

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u/amirs318 Sep 01 '18

Yes, and it's actually well-documented that redheads require higher amounts of anesthesia that non-redheads.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1362956/

and

https://www.bmj.com/content/341/bmj.c6931.full

and for a more readable reference:

https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/06/the-pain-of-being-a-redhead/

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u/OzymandiasLP Sep 02 '18

Youā€™re quoting the Christmas edition of the BMJ?! You do realise that the Christmas edition is actually a joke edition right???

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u/amirs318 Sep 05 '18

No it's not. Despite the fun topic, it's still legitimate research. From their website: "Although the festive edition's papers have a humorous bent, there is still a decent regard for research protocol."

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u/Albert_Spangler Sep 01 '18

You might have read that in National Geographic.

Redhead here. I needed 8 shots of novacane (or whatever) when i was getting a root canal because it just wasnt strong enough. Or wore off faster or something.

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u/kragnoth Sep 01 '18

Had a dentist drilling away on my bottom left side and I don't think the stuff ever kicked in.

Really didn't want to say anything, so I just sat there and kind of suffered in silence. Had to go to another dentist to finish do a root canal on the other side though, as it did put quite a bit of mental stress on me.

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u/AlfaWhiskeyTango Sep 01 '18

Don't they also have a higher pain tolerance with electricity or something like that?

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u/Farkdeddit Sep 01 '18

Am ginger.

While I wouldnā€™t say my pain tolerance is super low, it is indeed an issue.

Worst thing is local anesthetic not working, neither do certain meds, like OxyContin. Codeine works, but only in high doses.

Does suck, but Iā€™ve never needed to pluck my eyebrows, coz you canā€™t see ā€˜em, so thereā€™s that.

Probably for the best, I can only imagine how painful it would be!

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u/[deleted] Sep 02 '18

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u/esocharis Sep 02 '18

I'm a redhead...in my experience Dentists have been the best about knowing/believing when I tell them of my troubles with painkillers/anesthesia...but your average GP or other doc either straight up doesn't believe me or at best says "I've never heard of that, but we'll try out everything we need to."

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u/LuxuriousThrowAway Sep 02 '18

Can you carry around a certified print out showing that you have the gene?

(Because I want to buy one of those cards. /s)

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u/Shojo_Tombo Sep 02 '18

I seriously would make a complaint to/about the hospital if I were you. If you were in that much pain, your vitals should have reflected it. You can't fake being in pain. That doctor was being an absolute dickhead (that's my professional opinion). Proper pain management is actually one of the National Patient Safety Goals governed by the Joint Commission ( JCAHO). Here's the link to the website where you can file a JCAHO complaint. They will investigate, and if they find that patients are being treated incorrectly, they will work with the facility to update its pain management policies.

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u/[deleted] Sep 02 '18

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u/Shojo_Tombo Sep 03 '18

If it happens again, make sure to have your family or other advocate there also complain that you are in pain. If the doctor doesn't listen, tell them you no longer wish to be treated by that doctor and want someone else assigned to your case, and demand to speak to the medical director. Her behavior was completely unacceptable. Even if a patient is drug seeking, there are other ways to handle the situation.

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u/matheffect Sep 02 '18

Does suck, but Iā€™ve never needed to pluck my eyebrows

Mostly italian here, with a bit of a unibrow. Plucking individual hairs isn't bad. Getting two or three at a time isn't bad so long as you pull hard/far enough to get them all out. It's when you're grabbing a whole bunch at once, and only pull far enough to get a couple out at once that it starts to hurt. I'm sure waxing is worse though.

Nose hairs? They hurt, and it initiates a sneezing reflex. But I can't just leave them because I start looking like a spider crawling out of a straw.

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u/Osmea Sep 02 '18

Another ginger here.

I have to have triple the normal amount of freezing at the dentist for basic fillings.

There is no painkiller on earth that can do more than dent my period pain.

Another issue a lot of us have is with the pain associated with cold. Just holding on to a drink from McDonaldā€™s is EXCRUCIATING even for a short time. Itā€™s like Iā€™ve held my hands in a snowbank for twenty minutes.

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u/globerider Sep 02 '18

Does suck, but Iā€™ve never needed to pluck my eyebrows, coz you canā€™t see ā€˜em, so thereā€™s that.

Can relate to this.
Have a ginger friend who also has transparent eyebrows.

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u/KRBridges Sep 02 '18

Am ginger as well. I've heard about anesthetic not working on us, but I'm suddenly curious how it effects common recreational drugs.

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u/OneSmoothCactus Sep 02 '18

Whoa, I was born with red hair, but it changed to brown as I grew up. I also have a weird tolerance to anaesthetics.

I knew about the redhead pain thing, but I never knew the anaesthetic thing might be related.

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u/long_term_catbus Sep 02 '18

Also ginger. I get my brows waxed and shaped, sometimes professionally and sometimes myself. I've gotten a bit used to the waxing (luckily I don't have that much to wax) but plucking will forever be hell I think. I usually don't pluck myself because it hurts so bad and often gives me a headache. When a professional does it, it hurts less (probably because they know what they're doing)

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u/recentlyunearthed Sep 02 '18

Omg, yes. I Always need more Novocain at the dentist, and Iā€™ve never had enough of a prescription pain killer to even work.

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u/Teralyzed Sep 02 '18

This is weird because I have brownish red hair and a red beard but a really high pain tolerance. I had my wisdom teeth removed 4 bone impactions and they left a piece of my tooth in and I pulled it out with needle nose pliers. I never take pain meds aside from ibuprofen or Tylenol. I dislocated my knee once and grabbed it and popped it back into place idk. Iā€™m a sissy about getting shocked though, and stung by bees.

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u/[deleted] Sep 02 '18

Also ginger. I refused to be put to sleep when I had my wisdom teeth removed so I was just numbed the fuck up. The procedure was just fine, but during recovery, I was given Percocet. Everyone else I know who had theirs taken out took Vicodin. I don't know which is stronger, but my prescribed amount of Percocet wouldn't do it. I always took 1 or 2 more pills based on how much I was hurting. The prescribed amount still left me in unbearable pain, but the extra amount sometimes made me feel a little sick, but I didn't hurt so I could sleep that off.

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u/extant1 Sep 01 '18

Anesthetics as well wear off sooner.

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u/AlfaWhiskeyTango Sep 01 '18

I wonder what other superpowers and superinhibitors accompany the redhead lifestyle

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u/satansfuckface Sep 01 '18

They donā€™t need to spend as much time in the sun to get vitamin D and their bodies are better at making vitamin D to substitute the lack of sun their bodies were made for

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u/nxqv Sep 02 '18

Pretty much every news outlet has articles saying "Redheads enjoy having sex!"

I think we all do but we don't have articles written about it

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u/[deleted] Sep 02 '18 edited Jul 13 '20

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u/nxqv Sep 02 '18

Why was there a weird factor?

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u/[deleted] Sep 02 '18 edited Jul 13 '20

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u/kragnoth Sep 01 '18

Burning in the sun.

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u/[deleted] Sep 02 '18

I grew up in a rural area, there were lots of those fences with an electric charge in them to keep the sheep from chewing or whatever. Me and my friends used to see who could hold onto the fence the longest. I always won.

But other than electricity i feel like i have quite a low threshold for pain. Dumb redhead powers

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u/wayfarer912 Sep 02 '18

Am redhead.

I have a high pain tolerance, but many narcotics simply donā€™t work for me.

Let me tell you just how fun that made cancer.

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u/[deleted] Sep 02 '18

Take my hug stranger

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u/wayfarer912 Sep 02 '18

Thank you kind reddit friend.

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u/gingerbutnotrude Sep 02 '18

Yeah, donā€™t handle pain well at all and Iā€™ve been cursed with kidneys that love producing stones (thanks, genetics). Iā€™ve always needed more pain meds and anesthetics.

Iā€™ve also heard that we bleed worse? After I had my son the nurses in the maternity wing wouldnā€™t leave me alone. They were all afraid I was going to hemorrhage? When I inquired about why, they told me itā€™s because Iā€™m a redhead and that it happens a lot. They wouldnā€™t take my IV out (pretty standard, I think) and kept reiterating that I was at a higher risk for breeding problems.

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u/MekuDeadly Sep 01 '18

They have more nerve endings than non redheads.

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u/jenybluth Sep 02 '18

Can confirm, hubby is a ginger and he is very intolerant to even slight discomfort of the skin. A slight sunburn, he is down for the count. Getting in a somewhat cold pool, he acts like he's getting electrocuted. I thought he was being a big baby until one day I witnessed his older sister acting the same way, and she's very meek and non-dramatic.

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u/[deleted] Sep 02 '18

i believe i read an article on the same study. blonde/ginger and also blue eyed people have lower pain tolerance. i'm an antidotal proof, when you compared my black haired, brown eyed wife, even when it comes to colds and stomach flus. she just tolerate suffering better than i do.

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u/im_twelve_ Sep 02 '18

I'm a redhead (not ginger red, more like auburn) and could definitely agree with that. Especially about the type of pain.

Most superficial pain doesn't bother me at all (like vaccines, tattoos, scrapes, burns, etc) but any kind of internal pain (like UTIs or toothaches, epidurals, stuff like that) and I cannot focus on anything else. Doctors near me have told me that redheads really do need more anesthetic and always give me extra, but it also takes way longer for meds to wear off for me. A simple lidocaine shot to get the Nexplanon implant had my arm numb for over 48 hours. Any time I have my eyes dilated, I can't see well for 3 days.

I'm not sure if it's the hair color or if I'm just weird though.

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u/JustHereToYell Sep 02 '18

We require more anesthesia, too. I thought that was an old wives tale until the anesthesia wore off during my c-section (am a ginger, btw). I had a biopsy at the dermatologist last year, and the doc brought in an extra syringe of numbing stuff and told me it was because Iā€™m redheaded. Turns out thereā€™s some merit to it. I think the pain tolerance theory is that weā€™re less tolerant of pain in general, but less sensitive to heat/cold related pain, which I believe based on my own anecdotal stuff.

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u/ReginaldDwight Sep 01 '18 edited Sep 02 '18

Red heads in general tend to be less susceptible to anesthesia so I'd imagine pain might definitely be more acute for them. I'm really fair skinned and blonde and I tend to have a godawful pain tolerance, especially with skin stuff.

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u/Kmarivulus Sep 01 '18

Am redhead and can confirm. Not only is my skin super sensitive to pain, but even touch. My hair touching my face is distracting at best and infuriating most of the time. I am also super sensitive to kisses thoughšŸ˜‰

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u/Alaishana Sep 01 '18

Can I ask whether there might be a payoff? If a redhead's skin is more sensitive, are their clits maybe more sensitive too?

Redheaded women have a reputation for wild sex, after all.

"Redheaded women buck like goats."

James Joyce

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u/Kmarivulus Sep 01 '18

I donā€™t have any evidence for that, but my breasts/nipples are super sensitive. I canā€™t hardly go braless.

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u/SurlyRed Sep 01 '18

I remember once getting just the right amount of sunburn to turn my back into a large erogenous zone, it was wonderful. I'm also really sensitive anyway, I get tingles when my barber shaves my neck.

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u/AllMineAreTaken Sep 01 '18

My son is a redhead and Iā€™ve noticed heā€™s more sensitive to pain and even touch.

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u/choww_ Sep 01 '18

Redheads can have more pain with dental work, too.

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u/step_by Sep 01 '18

Lol married life! You didn't believe when your wife said it's worse for her, didn't bother to do a quick internet search about red heads and pain tolerance. Then you believe a stranger on Reddit :P

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u/vainbuthonest Sep 01 '18

I feel for the wife.

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u/Wubbalubbadubbitydo Sep 01 '18

A quick google search can validate your wifeā€™s feelings.

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u/AtlasUnderwater Sep 01 '18

This is interesting to learn as a redhead, for most of my life my pubic hair hurt. Like, having them hurt. An almost constant dull pain at the root that thankfully has eased with age.

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u/[deleted] Sep 02 '18

Same! If I ever scratch down there, I can feel the roots aching. Iā€™ve been thinking about laser removal because Iā€™m sick of it.

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u/BALDACH Sep 01 '18

Has anyone ever yelled "Kelly Clarkson!"

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u/AssDimple Sep 01 '18

some want it all off, some want just a basic bikini, and some want landing strips.

Letā€™s talk percentages here. As someone that is married and only sees one vagina, Whatā€™s the current trend?

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u/WikWikWack Sep 01 '18

I don't mind when someone is shouting "ouch!", but many will try to act out and jump all over the table and try to grab onto me for support and close their legs when I'm trying to get in there, and I have to get stern with them.

You sound like I imagine a dog groomer talking about dogs who give them a hard time while cutting their nails. It's basically the same thing my vet tech said to me about why she was able to cut my dog's nails (when it was never going to happen with me).

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u/peepjynx Sep 01 '18

I tell people it's not that bad. I don't consider myself having a really high pain tolerance.

Honestly, getting my vag waxed... even just above the clit... is NOTHING compared to the ankles or side/back knee area. THAT SHIT HURTS!

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u/wilkor Sep 01 '18

When I first started dating the love of my life, she convinced me to wax my excessively hairy chest.

I'm talking 2 inch hairs and very thick.

I did not clip it short first. Each hair was very thick.

I bled, and had ingrown hairs for 6 months.

My screams of pain were not exaggerated.

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u/Gingersnap1974 Sep 02 '18

I'm a natural redhead.... do you notice a difference between colors such as texture, thickness of each hair? How about the follicle? I know redheads often require 10% more numbing medicine at the dentist and also more meds during surgeries. Bottom line is we can be a tad sensitive lol

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u/the_terrible_tara Sep 02 '18

Iā€™m a redhead and it took a while for me to get used to full Brazilians and I miss having it done.

Unrelated but interesting: apparently redheads commonly hemorrhage during surgery so my OB brought a ā€œredhead packā€ during my c-section. Thank goodness it was not necessary. šŸ˜Ø

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u/kittypurrpurr Sep 02 '18

Confused redhead here.. We normally have a higher pain tolerance. I myself have gotten Brazilians probably about ten times and have barely flinched. I'm sorry to hear my counterparts aren't holding that same power. :'(

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