It's a hair condition that has frustrated parents for a long time, now scientists believe they have found the genes that cause it. It is indeed a thing.
It is more than just hair. It's hair sticks out at all angles and makes it almost impossible to tame.
It begins in children between the ages of three months and 12 years and is typified by straw blond or silvery blond hair. It is usually wavy, dry and brittle and is sometimes called spun glass hair or cheveux incoiffables.
Even though Boris Johnson and Albert Einstein are famous for their unruly hair, it's not likely that they have or have had the condition that causes it. The condition usually improves or disappears by adulthood.
The rare condition first appeared in published articles in the 1970s. Most of the publications since then have been case reports.
Geneticists at the University of Bonn, Germany, performed a study on 11 children with hair that wasn't neatly combed. They found that the condition was caused by three genes that code for something in the hair.
More families with kids with this condition came forward and now the same scientists have repeated the genetics with over 100 children. In 76 of these children, the cause is linked to the PADI3 gene as well as the involvement of two other genes.
There are many small variations in our genes that affect our appearance.
Sometimes a change in the function of theProtein is caused by aDeletion in aGene It is more likely that the hair will look different if that is the case. This could be brown, blond, curly, thick, straight, red or bald.
There are a few well-known variations in hair fibre shape and curl, but they are rarely linked to serious illnesses. The inner root sheath of the hair is where the affected genes are located.
Uncombable hair is a genetic trait. Both parents have to be carriers of the genes, even if they don't have it themselves. The child will have the syndrome if they inherit one copy of the affected genes from their parents.
Why do you want to study hair disorders? Parents can now request a genetic test that will show them if their hair is affected by other rare conditions, thanks to this type of genetic study.
It helps the hair biology research community understand more about normal hair growth and how different genes affect hair shape and appearance. We can explain why changes to PADI3 might change hair shape by learning more about how it works in the follicle.
One of the most unique and personal attributes is hair. Everyone thinks about it every day. Over the last century, the hair-care industry has grown.
When a rare condition leads to such a fascinating yet impossible to manage change in hair, it's easy to understand why scientists want to understand how it happens and to help the families with affected children understand it.
Gill is the business development manager at the university.
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