Why Can't I Comb My Hair?

 

    Have you ever tried combing your hair and wondered why it won't detangle or style the way you want it to? Most parents started to get worried when they realized their child's hair was different from others. Luckily, they aren't alone. Human geneticist Regina Betz of University Hospital Bonn in Germany and her team linked three genes that causes this silvery, spangly, spun glass hair. This is known as uncombable hair syndrome when the hair tends to grow in opposite directions. Currently there is no treatment, however, most kids outgrow these symptoms once adolescents. The gene PADI3 encodes an enzyme involved in hair shaft formation. Mutations within the PADI3 gene can disrupt hair structure. Some of the cases studied were linked to variants of TGM3 or TCHH which affect hair shaft structure. Uncombable hair syndrome isn't linked with any other health conditions which is a relief for parents. 

Can't comb your kids hair? This gene may be to blame

A geneticist in germany has linked three genes to a rare condition referred to as "uncombable hair syndrome". Although very rare, with only about 100 cases reported, 71% of cases were attributed to a mutation in the PADI3 gene. This gene is responsible for the formation of the hair shaft, and this mutation causes the hair shaft to be formed with a groove in it. This causes the hair to stand up and stick out, no matter how much it is combed. A small percentage of cases were attributed to mutations with the TGM3 or TCHH gene, but a quarter of the cases are still unexplained. 

The condition seems to improve with age, and has no side effects detrimental to the health of the individual. 

Relevant article: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/uncombable-hair-syndrome-gene 

Uncombable Hair Syndrome

 A recent study done at the University of Bonn and Toulouse have found three genes involved in forming the hair that are responsible for causing the "uncombable hair syndrome." The uncombable hair syndrome sounds exactly like what it is, hair that is extremely hard to comb. It could be due to either knots, frizzy, dry: which most of the times the people that deal with these problems try different things to see if they are the ones causing it. Either changing hair shampoo, conditioners, adding oils, trying different combs, changing the water temper to cold water instead of hot, the list just keeps going on. Since being announced in 1973, a little over 100 people have been diagnosed but scientist say that a lot more people have it, just most people don't go to a doctor for it where it would be record. Most people don't think too much of it an just deal with it. This syndrome is most noticeable in children, as a person matures the hair can turn somewhat normal.


The study was done by scientist from eight different countries working together. They were able to pinpoint mutations in three genes (PADI3, TGM3, and TCHH). PADI3 and TGM3 "contain the assembly instructions for enzymes, while the third --TCHH -- contain an important protein for the hair shaft"(Sciencedaily). The study found that if any one of these three genes has a mutation, it would affect the other two. This was shown in mice. In which a mice had either PADI3 or TGM33 mutated which lead the mice to have fur anomalies. This would lead to the uncombable hair syndrome in humans as well.




https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161117082501.htm