Pain threshold and duration are influenced by genetic factors, including potential differences in redheads.

“And then the last one is our genes. Pain threshold and how long a pain response lasts is in part dictated by our genes. And later I'm going to discuss this myth or whether or not it's really a myth as to whether or not certain people in particular red heads, people who have reg pigmented hair and fair skin, whether or not their pain thresholds differ. And to just give you a little sneak peek into that, indeed they do and it's because of a genetic difference in a particular gene, in a particular pattern of receptors in the skin that are related to the pigmentation of hair and skin.”