More than just bed-head: UHS

I came across an article on a news website today that I read and thought, "this has got to be a joke." The article was entitled "The tangled truth about uncombable hair," and it began with the following sentence:
"If ever there were a disease designed to vex a mother, it’s uncombable hair syndrome (UHS)."

You're joking, right? Uncombable Hair Syndrome? They came up with a disease name for when someone has messy hair? As I read on, I became more disbelieving; my disbelief was not helped by the statement that it was first described 35 years ago in a French medical study, which called it "cheveux incoiffables." Okay, now I know you're pulling my leg, right?

Actually, much to my surprise, no! This story is legit. This syndrome is legit. It may sound wacky, but it's for real. Some people have messy hair. Some people have hair that is easily tangled. Some people have truly horrible cases of bed-head when they get up in the morning. But others have truly uncontrollable hair.

Uncombable Hair Syndrome is also known as Pili trianguli at canaliculi, or Spun Glass Hair. This syndrome can manifest itself in children anytime between the ages of 3 months and 12 years old. While these kids start out with hair that looks thin and glassy (though still relatively normal), the hair begins to become drier, curlier and lighter in color. Eventually, it stands straight out from the scalp and is literally impossible to comb flat.

The reason for this disorder lies in an abnormality in the hair shafts of the affected individual. When examined under high magnification, these hair shafts have 2 unique qualities. First, their cross-section is shaped like a kidney bean (instead of a circle). And second, there is a deep groove or canal that runs down the entire length of the hair. This makes the hair unable to bend like normal hair without such a groove. So it stands straight out from the scalp. But here's the good news. Kids with UHS usually outgrow it. So while their hair may be unmanageable now, it'll get better as they get older.

But in case you're wondering whether your messy hairdo could be the result of UHS, the odds are quite strong that it's not - UHS is an incredible rare syndrome. In the last 35 years, barely 100 cases have been reported in the medical literature.

It's far more likely that you just have easily tangled hair.