Bad hair day? ‘Uncombable hair syndrome’ traced to gene mutations
The matted and mussed hair of the famously bizarre German children’s book character Struwwelpeter was meant to serve as a warning about bad hygiene. But for kids that bear a striking resemblance to the straw-haired mischiefmaker (above), tangled hair is no fault of their own: It’s due to a rare genetic mutation. Scientists have now pinpointed the three genes that cause so-called “uncombable hair syndrome,” a PADI3, TGM3, and TCHH—direct the process that causes the misshaped strands, researchers report this month in the American Journal of Human Genetics. If just one of these genes malfunctions, the structure and stability of the hair is affected. Only about 100 cases have ever been reported, though the researchers suspect not all sufferers are reporting their symptoms. Think about it: When was the last time you visited your doctor because of a bad hair day? Fortunately for patients, the snarls seem to become more manageable with age, and the syndrome does not have health implications beyond tangled tresses. As for everyone else, at least you can rest easy knowing your kid’s knots probably aren’t caused by flawed genes.
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