Five-year old Lyla-Grace Barlow has a condition called Uncombable Hair Syndrome. Yes, you read that correctly. Her hair is uncombable. According to Wikipedia the condition is caused by a mutated gene which creates abnormal heart-shaped hair follicles instead of round ones.
Lyla’s parents, Alex and Mark Barlow, have tried countless hair products and spent hours trying to drag a comb through her hair.
Lyla’s Mother told The Sun
“When Lyla was little it used to stand up like Sonic the Hedgehog, like a little white afro.”
It is said that Albert Einstein also had the condition. and that’s why his hair always looks so unruly.
Layla’s mother even went to a hairdresser and the hairdresser asked Lyla’s mother if she bleached the child’s hair because she’s never seen hair like hers and she doesn’t know what to do with it.
The condition is said to affect just 100 people worldwide. Well, it seems as though being “tender headed” is officially medically a thing. Folks on social media, however, aren’t quite buying it. See below:
What say you? Real or Nah?
I’m 30 something reside in Massachusetts and enjoy pop culture.
The cornrows look adorable on her..
I have the same hair I didn’t know it was a genetic mutation. I was tortured as a child because of my hair. I got asked if I stuck my finger in a light socket, why I had horse hair, and was asked by adults about my hair. My mother had no idea had to deal with it. Not until I got a hold of a Chi flat iron, it literally changed my life. I have to flat iron my hair every day, but you can still tell it’s different. I think the reason why it’s a “syndrome” for white people is because it’s a genetic mutation. It’s a very rare thing. I have seen one other person with the same hair as me and I am 36 years old. Kids are cruel and I hope this child doesn’t go through the same hell I went through.
Hi Irine!
We are almost the same age (I’m 31) and I have the same hair as you! I’m a little bit excited, as I never met someone who had my hair before.
I have some question for you, if you don’t mind:
Are you hair still blonde? Mine turned brown with reddish reflexion with puberty, but I still have two strands of hair that are white-blonde around my face.
Do you have strands of hair that just won’t grow? I haven’t cut my blonde hair in about 10 years, they break apart before I can even think of cutting them.
What is your hair treatment regime? I normally use a sulfate free shampoo and conditionner. I only brush them with the conditionner on in the shower and I only wash my hair once a week. I let them dry out naturally and use the flat iron pretty much only after they are dry.
Do you have auto-immune disease? I have two skin related one, and trying to figure out if I’m the one with all the bad genes.
Are you the only one with the disease in you family?
Thanks!
Jess
I’m 50 years old and learned to love my hair now, life was hard I was excepted by no one even my parents were ashamed, breaks easy, burns easy, it’s fragile. I was ridiculed constantly. But no I’m ok with it my children and grand children have it too. I am now proud that I am special enough to receive this gift, when I was little it felt like a curse but now that I’m am older it’s a gift!!!! I always thought I was alone but not anymore love all you fuzzies out there!!!!
I’m 36 and I believe I have this hair too right down to the unusual sheen. Also my strands feel bumpy in texture. I’ve learnt I cannot do to much too it heat and colouring wise else it snaps off.
I’m 36 and I had this hair from infancy until puberty and it changed color from white not blonde but silvery white to brown. It was soft like cotton but looked dry and course and yet shiny. I hated pictures ,almost every picture I have it’s standing up. My mom tried cutting it all short, perming it. Anything to tame it. Usually it ended up just having a bow with it all standing up. Everyone called me “the hair “or “fuzzy “. It’s wavy at the scalp now and straighter on the ends. But I can easily tame it now with a flat iron. So yes it’s a real thing. But good news it goes away.