The mom of a one-year-old boy diagnosed with a rare condition called uncombable hair syndrome (UHS) said that her son would grow up to be proud and comfortable with his locks.
Katelyn Samples from Atlanta said that her baby, Locklan, now 14-months-old, started growing out his hair when he was five months, and she discovered that she could not tame his hair, unlike his older brother Shephard, who is two years old.
The mom relayed to The Sun that Locklan's hair was soft, fuzzy, and always straight up. Because his hair cannot be laid down, Locklan has been getting second looks, and people in the neighborhood have started calling him "baby chick" with fondness.
Samples said that she had never heard of uncombable hair syndrome until a stranger sent her a message on social media asking if Locklan had such a diagnosis. The stranger also explained that this condition is so rare, but mad scientist Albert Einstein was believed to have the condition as well. The stranger then referred the family to a specialist in Atlanta.
My favourite story I did @jampress this week is about adorable Locklan who has the most incredible hair https://t.co/wdQv9N08ZE
— Laura Abernethy (@LauraJAbernethy) December 2, 2021
Confirmed Diagnosis of UHS
The mom brought her son to the specialist, where they took some hair samples. After a few weeks, the family received a confirmation, and he was diagnosed with uncombable hair syndrome. His doctor said that the only other case he's aware of was from 19 years ago. Only 100 cases have been documented for UHS around the world.
A three-year-old girl in Gibraltar was also diagnosed with UHS. Terri Chapman said that her daughter, Ruby, manifested UHS when she was around six months old. She was born with dark hair but became a full-blown blond with unruly hair by the time she was 18 months old.
Chapman believes her daughter inherited the condition from her husband, Ross Chapman, who also had unruly hair as a child. However, Ross' UHS was hardly unnoticeable because he always kept it short. The father also said his hair started to "settle" after puberty.
But Samples said she has no idea where Locklan could have inherited this genetic condition. Nonetheless, she's glad that Locklan is a perfectly healthy and happy baby. The mother also said that Locklan immensely enjoys the attention he's getting from other people.
However, Samples said that they also get rude and mean comments that break her heart. For now, the mother said that it's only her and her husband dealing with the ridicule. Eventually, however, Locklan will be facing mean people as well, so, as parents, they are teaching the boy to become comfortable and proud of his uniqueness. They focus on raising him as a happy child without any hang-ups about his appearance.
What is Uncombable Hair Syndrome?
Uncombable hair syndrome is triggered by a genetic mutation and would start to show in the baby as early as three months old, according to the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.
UHS requires little grooming because the dry and fragile quality of the hair strands may lead to breakage. However, in some cases, the condition may significantly improve and recede as the child grows up, especially with the help of biotin supplements. Other conditions may be linked to UHS, depending on a person's assessment from a specialist.
