The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

Dave, Irvine ca — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:38:06 GMT

My girlfriend is 25 and it hasn't "simply disappeared" yet. Sometimes I use her head to clean the grout on the kitchen floor

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

summer Dihle — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:27:34 GMT

hey that is pretty amazing. I learned something new today

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

windermere, fl — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:34:15 GMT

Any info on why asian hair is coarser (grows straight up)and if any product can help tame it?

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

Brenda, St. Louis MO — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:48:56 GMT

Too funny....my sister and her grandson both have
"spun glass hair symdrome".

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

ray belanger, las vegas ,nv. — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 22:59:45 GMT

Oh god, my tangled blond curly hair was such a problem for other folks. I had to let it grow long because if I didn't it would stick straight out on the sides. I didn't use a comb when I was young, combs would break. I would just take a towel and dry it, and it would be all curly. This was before the show "Hair", so everyone thought I was a "hippy" Now I can use a brush, and it's shorter anyway, and no one seems to notice. I'm 70 years old now, but this story brought back memories.

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

MushMommy, Lehighton, PA — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:27:55 GMT

my 17 month old has quite an afro from his fathers side, but he has my fineness and color. however, his hair is starting to naturally dreadlock itsself no matter how many times i brush his hair, or even use conditioner in the baththub. we are considering just having a professional dread his whole head, but he would never sit still for that long anyway. its interesting to know that he may have this condition

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

Alex, CA — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:42:24 GMT

After my dog had a minor surgery that required her hair on the back to be shaven, new hair that grew back was quite stiff and twisted, not glossy as it was before.

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

Don Young, Chiang Mai, Thailand — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 01:02:38 GMT

a young black lady approached me and said, "why is your hair so stupid looking". I responded with "we share a common problem, "bad choice of ancestors"". I'm 70, and very proud of my white hair that "glows".

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

Linda Jacobi, Nashua NH — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 02:35:50 GMT

What about hair that just gets bigger and bigger the more you comb it. That's what I have to deal with everyday. I can only really comb it just before I wash my hair or it's a puffball. Is this an offshoot of the UHS?

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

Andrew Williams - Melbourne - Australia — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 07:22:23 GMT

For those people affected by Ectodermal Dysplasia there is a number of support groups around the world. In the US the group is called the National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias (NFED) People from other countries should go to http://www.edsinfo.org to find their nearest group. Andrew Williams President-ozED - Australian Ectodermal Dysplasia Support Group

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

jmk, midlothian, va — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 16:27:38 GMT

I wish there was a picture.....

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

John Doe farmington NM — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 16:32:09 GMT

So when are the Media types or showbiz folks have a telethon for UHS We have suffered to long with this condition please help raise money and awareness of this unfort'ionate are you listening Jerry dump MDA get with UHS

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

ducksinthewind, Mesa — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 23:13:55 GMT

a similar trait showed up in my girls (only 1 of 4 sisters) who are part hawaiian, brown eyed blonds. at about 6 one went into the "lamb's wool" phase, uncombable, bangs that stuck straight out, fluffy and thick. also happened to be shining white.
she is 22 and has learned to punish it severely with chemicals, tie-backs and conditioners, but it is still wool.

btw, it takes dye perfectly, so she is the brightest pink, green, or blue on the planet.

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

ammara abedi, houston, texas — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 03:00:10 GMT

this article is really a great source of information on this disease.......but i think they should have come up with a solution too.

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

George Griggs; Citrus Heights, California — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 20:40:44 GMT

I don't know if cowlicks are a part of this syndrome, but I have 7 different areas on my head where the hair grows in a totally different direction than the hair surrounding them. And, the hair on two is combable only if I plaster it down. Even then, it pops back up after a short time. Insult to injury, my beard has the same propensity. Both of my sons have cursed me for giving them beards that grow in numerous diverse directions. Everyone I've spoken to about these problems says, all I can do is live with it. Is that right?

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

NASHAUN B. SMITH, NEW ORLEANS, LA — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 05:40:00 GMT

O.K. THIS EXPLAINS WHY I HAVE TROUBLE WITH MY THREE YR. OLDS HAIR! DUH. I MEAN I TRY AND TRY BUT I DON'T THINK ME BEING A TOM BOY INSTEAD OF COMBING MY DOLLS HAIR HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT. LOL.

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

maur , stony brook,ny — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:09:56 GMT

I used to have cotty hair as a child in the UK

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

cindy, vegas, nv — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:21:13 GMT

why isn't there a way to email or link to this?

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

Kathy V. St. Louis, MO 63108 — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 18:48:16 GMT

They send men to the moon, find cures for diseases; why can't they simply discover a product that will help those of us with unruly hair?

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

zebralover, Dulles, VA — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 18:48:52 GMT

This is a very interesting article. I'd like to see more articles about hair types with pictures so I can better understand them.

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

michelle, tahlequah, ok — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 18:53:48 GMT

I have one part of my hair that is curly, while the rest of my hair is straight. I wonder

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

Frosty, Minneapolis — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:38:35 GMT

My husband has a good saying for people who have hair like this. He says it looks like they combed their hair with a carmeled apple.

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

Elizabeth Lewis — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:10:29 GMT

How about addressing the problem of hair that is too soft, silky and impossible to curl or do anything with at all. After my last surgery it is so bad I was going to wear a wig and it won't stay on due to my hair being slippery and silky.

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

Elizabeth Lewis — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:11:12 GMT

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

Deb Ottinger, Hamilton, MT — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:15:09 GMT

OMG, I'm still laughing over the firsst entry!

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

kelley Whitney, grants pass,oregon — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 22:05:39 GMT

I've been trying to get my hair to grow,and it just WONT! What can I do to help it grow, and does smoking delay the growth process?????....

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

Angela, North Port, Fl — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:12:35 GMT

Interesting article. Right half of my hair is curly and left side is straight. It really is a pain to comb or to style. I had used a relaxer on the curly side to even the hairstyle but, of course, the curly side wins after a few weeks. Tried to salon perm the straigh side but ended up with damaged hair. I've decided to let it flow naturally and eventhough I might look weird, I am at peace now and proudly accept my mixed heritage.

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

Greg H., Madison, WI — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:11:54 GMT

I loved the comment about cleaning kitchen grout with "the girlfriend's hair." Thanks for the information and the laugh!

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

Linda, Vancouver, BC — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 03:55:16 GMT

Friends of mine had five little girls and each one of them had this same hair problem. As their fine, white-blond hair started to grow, it would stand straight out from their heads. The girls wore bonnets from the time they were about one year old until they were about five. At least by time the started at school, their hair looked fairly normal!

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

shelia auburndale, FL — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:07:45 GMT

My sister's hair is of the brillo pad variety and she finds jokes like that hurtful. she is part American Indian and Dutch, like me. She is blond with brown eyes. My hair is dark and frizzy, but straighter. My daughter's hair stood straight up at birth, flopped over straight and blond later, but with a little cotton candy patch on the back of her head in a.m. Shampoo with conditioner works best. Comb it out with conditioner in the shower and then sleep with it in a ponytail. For longer hair make wet ponytail and tuck into sock so it scrunches curls up. In the a.m. beautiful curls! Also, to make frizzy hair look pretty and curly, apply dab of conditioner on worst parts and then go around entire top layer of hair twirling small sections around index finger making curls. Use styling gel to really hold the curls. Vary which direction you twirl and remember, if the top layer looks good the rest doesn't matter! LOL

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

Jane Doe, Virginia — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:26:00 GMT

My blond sister used to have a patch on the back of her head that was uncombable and stood straight out. However that resolved on its own by about the time she turned 20

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

phantom poodle, irvine, CA — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:44:37 GMT

Sounds like priapism of the hair!

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

phantom poodle, irvine, CA — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:48:31 GMT

Sounds like Harry Potters hair - straight and won't lay flat!

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

L. Thomas, Charlotte, NC — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 12:42:17 GMT

Certain larger dog breeds (a type of Sheep dog is one of them, I believe) have a long, wavy sort of fur that naturally tends to clump together into very large and dense, plate-like areas of heavily matted fur - sometimes developing all along the dogs body (especially with outdoor dogs). It has even been suggested that this tendency may have developed as a helpful evolutionary adaptation, providing the dog with a surprisingly effective layer of natural "armor" to block or minimize the bite of an attacking dog or other creature in a fight. Over many thousands of years, the dogs with such armor tended to better survive vicious fights with other animals, and thus were better able (than their non-matted cousins) to pass-on this trait to the next generation. Perhaps humans once had a form of such protective armor?

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

Lisa, Germantown, MD — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:37:09 GMT

Picture here: http://scienceblogs.com/worldsfair/2008/06/the_uncombable_hair_syndrome.php

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

Kathy, Burbank, Ca. — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:57:45 GMT

I have course frizzy curly hair that is SUCH a pain. I use Botonoil from Nexus and Frizz Ease or any type of frizz syrum after I shower. I also straighten it with a flat iron. It helps to do those things but it still looks weird. Wish my hair was normal :-(

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

Niq, Puerto Rico — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:42:53 GMT

In some Latin-American countries they call the blonde curly and hard hair “jabao”.

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

Lorena May, Pikeville,KY — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:43:04 GMT

My daughter was diagnosed with uncombable hair syndrome at age 4. She is now 14 and it is still the same but longer. Some people would ask if she stuck her finger in a light socket or did she have a perm to go wrong. She has had her feelings hurt alot. She has been through alot. Now at 14 she seems to be more comfortable with her hair. I would definitely like to help find a cure or at least something to help treat this disorder.

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

D. Yandell, Gunter, TX — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:23:09 GMT

My Hair looks like an Explosion in a Hair Factory.
It always has & I guess it always will.

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

loveylou1947@yahoo.com — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 03:18:47 GMT

I'm still laughing at the first comment, what a sense of humor....lol Linda, Shakopee Mn.

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

K. Ficociello, B.C., Canada — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 03:08:07 GMT

I think it has to do with your blood line and your diet. The problem is more spread in cocasians with very light coloured hair. I don't think we'll see it in Indians or Arabs.

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

Cally, Tamarac, Fl — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:31:51 GMT

I am of African American, american Indian and Cauacian (Scot, Irish, English) Decent and my hair is beautiful dark, fine, smooth, and curly except right at the crown, where it is course and kinky. I keep it cut short in a style similar to Halle Berry's The crown area I use a conditioner and de-frizzer serum, this helps to blend the hairs appearance. I have keritosis pilaris (skin condition) and I wonder if other skin conditions are relatied to or contribute to hair texture problems.

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

m. allen, st. louis missouri — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:59:04 GMT

saying that something is "wrong" because one's hair is "curly" tangled, wooly, etc is utterly rediculous!!!!!...the media projects the "straight hair look as "beautiful and desirable to promote "their idea of what's beautiful......you cannot tell me this is some sort of disorder because one's hair is "curly, wooly, etc....there is something "wrong" with the hair...healthy hair is what's important....all this "other" is hype to psyche people to purchase products to continually support a particular industry....buying and utilizing "chemicals" for one's hair is harmful and certainly not beautiful when one's hair then becomes "artifical"..

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

smith, San Francisco, CA — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 15:10:35 GMT

What works for me is wash and condition hair and leave in regular conditioner, plus add more if the brush hits any tangles that won't budge. All the after products do not tame my hair. I laughed when my sister in law gave me a product called stick straight, I knew it would do nothing, but used it anyway, and it didn't even tame the frizz.

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

ellen, north carolina — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:09:16 GMT

a good friend of mine had this and when she went on birth control it completeley disappeared.

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

Robert Lake Charles, LA — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:25:02 GMT

Well, I guess I'm not the only one with lousy hair. My hair is Indian straight and limp and to add insult it grows straight into my face. I've been thinking about just shaving this mess off my head and getting a toupee, only I don't want it to blow off if I get caught in a windstorm.

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

lauren, north carolina — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 02:09:06 GMT

my hair wont straighten or curl. its straight at the crown but wavy everywhere else. it also curves to my face. its a pain in the butt. i wish i had better hair..... :-(

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

silverbonn, SE, New Mexico — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 07:44:31 GMT

Sheesh, people! Come ON!
"UHS" is a *syndrome*, not a *disease*! (RE: spending ((rapidly vanishing)) research money for a cure/treatment.)
I just returned from the website offered above (thanks, "Lisa, from Germantown, MD") for some stats-- Did you know over 1 *BILLION* are affected by "neglected TROPICAL diseases" alone? That several *hundred millions* DIE from them? (And that's only *tropical* diseases!)
Diseases are "neglected" for one of two reasons: 1) because "insufficient numbers" are affected to make the high costs of (drug companies') research "financially viable" (watch "Lorenzo's Oil" w/ Susan Sarandon & Nick Nolte for THAT *heartbreaker*!) and 2) when/if the disease primarilly affects the POOR (i.e., who can't PAY for the drugs even IF there *were* enough affected).
"UHS" is an issue of "looks-ism." IOW: because someone doesn't LOOK "like everyone else," s/he is persecuted by "the normals."
Wouldn't it be FAR more beneficial (& less costly) to work on our SELVES (and teach our children the same), to learn to LOVE the differences in our fellow humans rather than expect those different from "us" to change?
And, on the "flip" side, how about raising our children to CELEBRATE their differences, rather than be ashamed of them? IOW: To equate
"different" with "SPECIAL" ???
("It is in the celebration of our differences that we discover our true silimarities."
--Copyright 2008, B.Cunningham, "Tales from the Awakening.)
PS: What a horribly *boring* world this would be were *everyone* "the same" !!!

The tangled truth about Uncombable Hair Syndrome

Le Shaun Alexis, POS, Trinidad. — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:59:07 GMT

I think this article is interesting but let's not confuse this condition with mixed bloodlines. I am 19 yrs old and I am still learning how to manage my hair. I have a thick mop of kinky hair, coarse straight hair that sticks out and curly hair. I have tried everything from flat ironing to using relaxers that didn't work because my hair kept kinking back up after 3 days of going to the hairdresser. I've had quite a few combs that broke in my hair. I've decided to go back natural.Despite being teased about my hair and I am still being teased,in the end you still have to be content and grow to accept yourself even if you are different from most people around you or what the world purports to be ideal.But according to this article this condition seems temporary so there is still hope and maybe they should find a cure or some product that will make managing easier.I've also wondered though if the growth of my hair is affected by a skin condition that I have with its texture that is, as my nails are sometimes also affected.