Sometimes we talk about ‘weather brush’ or ‘cheveux incoiffables’: hair that stubbornly shoots in all directions and cannot be tamed, much less combed. Especially parents sometimes suffer from it with their offspring. Now researchers have found the genes responsible for “combable hair syndrome”. Yes, it turns out to be one thing.
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Unruly hair that can’t be combed? It usually begins in children three months to 12 years old. And who is even more unfortunate: children with straw or silver hair. Their locks have a slight waviness, they are dry and brittle.
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With this condition you may spontaneously think about Boris Johnson or Albert Einstein’s haircut, because their unruly locks have often been a topic of discussion. However, it seems unlikely that they have or have had the condition, as it tends to improve or even disappear in adulthood. Also, there aren’t many cases.
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Three genes play a role, the study says
Anyway, how do you know if your child is one of the unlucky ones? People have external differences, which is a result of the many small variations in our genes. When such a change or mutation occurs in a gene, it sometimes also leads to a change in the function of the protein. If that protein is in the hair follicle, there’s a good chance the hair looks different. From brown, blond, curly, thick, straight or difficult to comb hair.
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(Read more below the photo.)
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The first study on the rare “combable hair syndrome” dates back to the 1970s. Since then, only 70 scientific reports have been published. A recent study from the University of Bonn studied 100 children with unruly hair. The researchers found that the condition can be explained by mutations in three genes involved in the formation of hair fibers, including the ‘PADI3 gene’.
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Both parents must be carriers
We also know that difficult-to-style hair is a “recessive” genetic trait. This means that both parents must be carriers of the mutated gene. This does not necessarily mean that they have or have unmanageable hair on their own. But if their baby inherits one copy of the affected gene from each parent, the baby will develop the syndrome.
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The results of this study help us understand why hair shape and appearance can differ so much and what role genes play. Researchers now know that the “PADI3” gene can change the shape of hair. But obviously much is still unknown about this special condition and its solutions. Fortunately, the research doesn’t stop anytime soon. Keep on.
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