Uncombable Hair Syndrome

Yes it is a real thing.

I know the name, Uncombable Hair Syndrome seems a bit ridiculous, but it is easier to say than Pili trianguli et Canaliculi or Cheveux incoiffables. Some people call it Spun Glass Syndrome, which sounds much more put together, but perhaps a little too fancy-ish for me and my crew.

Our little guy rocks his awesome hair. I cannot imagine him having any other type of hairdo. It speaks to his sweet nature with a dash of feistiness sprinkled in. His white blonde hair stands up on end almost every minute of the day. He has gotten one true haircut, where I physically felt sick when she used the razor and cut it super short. We did sprinkle in a few little trims to simply remove the mullet, although looking back at pictures we clearly were a bit too late on more than one occasion.

Henry’s hair was awesome from the moment he was born. When we took him outside for the first time I noticed his hair was absolutely bright red. I kept thinking how in the world does he have such red hair? So bizarre. Over time the bright red diminished to clear. Not blonde, literally there is no pigment. His wet hair looks like clear fishing line. And as it SLOWLY grew longer it grew up. It does not lay flat on his sweet little noggin. I wet it, which gives it weight enough to hold it down for a few seconds and then it pops right back up. His hair does not absorb water but is rather water resistant. It’s a bit tricky to wash, style, comb, etc and those are on the rare occasions that he will humor me and not run and hide when he sees me with the hair gel.

So what is Uncombable Hair Syndrome?

Simply put it is a super rare disorder of the hair shaft on the scalp. It is characterized by silvery-blond or straw-colored hair that stands out from the scalp that simply cannot be combed to lay flat.

What do you do about it?

Make awesome mohawks with “hair glue” we call monkey snot and hope that it sticks together long enough to get to school so Henry can show his friends his cool hairdo.

Nail crazy hair day at school. This will be one of the many days Henry is going to shine by simply being who God created him to be.

Share the awesomeness of being different and help him embrace his uniqueness. Being left-handed made me feel special as a kid. Like I had this unique thing about me that made me stand out just a little bit from the crowd. At the same time, it was fun to meet and learn about other people that shared this trait with me. It has been rumored that Einstein had Uncombable Hair Syndrome!

People make mindless off-handed comments about Henry’s hair almost every day we are out and about; “Did somebody just get up from a nap?”, “Heavy static electricity in the air today little guy?”, or “Did you put your finger in a light socket?”

I will admit there was a period in time that I was so thankful he loved wearing a baseball cap because I knew it meant people wouldn’t say a darn thing to us about his hair. I know, awful right? But the moment Henry looked up at me with confusion and self-doubt in his eyes and asked “…but mom my hair is handsome, isn’t it?” my heart instantly broke. The wavering question in his tiny voice was just too much.

Each day we are contributing to these little ones forming their egos and self-identity. I work each and every moment to be the parent these kiddos deserve as a role model, yet trust me I fail plenty of the time. I strive to instill confidence, compassion, strength, courage, kindness, and determination. My response to the comments people make about Henry is such a perfect moment to shine or fall flat on my face. We have these golden opportunities with our children every day. Most likely it isn’t in regards to your child’s wild hairstyle. It might be about their glasses, leg braces, wheelchair, visible birthmark, or whatever it is that makes them different, makes them who they are. But here is to you being the parent you want to be and forgiving yourself when you fail. These little buggers are resilient!!