A 16-month-old boy from the USA suffers from a rare syndrome. It was only diagnosed after several visits to the doctor and a tip via Instagram.
Roswell — Locklan Samples is one in 100 known children with “uncombable hair syndrome,” also known as “Struwwelpeter syndrome.” Thanks to the protruding hair, he is a real eye-catcher. It doesn’t matter where the family goes.
They are often addressed. “People come up to us and want to touch it. They’re very curious about his hair,” Katelyn Samples, Locklan’s mother, told Fox5. For a long time, the family from Roswell, Georgia did not know what was wrong with their young son.
“Struwwelpeter Syndrome”: Not present since birth in young boys
Locklan’s hair wasn’t like this from birth. It wasn’t until he got a little older that his hair began to show the typical characteristics of the syndrome. Now his hair is sticking out in all directions and cannot be tamed. In addition, they are extremely frizzy, dry and mostly light blonde. Shepherd, Locklan’s older brother, does not have the syndrome.
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At first, the family didn’t know why Locklan’s hair had these characteristics. “And then a stranger sent me a message on Instagram,” Katelyn reports, according to Fox5. This made her nervous because she had never heard of it. After consultation with her family doctor, she took her young son to a specialist.
Locklan has “Struwwelpeter Syndrome”: That’s what research says
Using samples of the hair, it was found there that Locklan suffers from “uncombable hair syndrome”. It’s one in 100 cases worldwide. The syndrome does not pose a risk to his health. It mostly grows over the years. After puberty, most of those affected no longer have unruly hair.
The reason for the symptoms of “Struwwelpeter Syndrome” has now also been researched. Researchers from the Universities of Bonn and Toulouse published their research results in November 2016. According to their press release, a mutation in three genes is the reason for the change in hair structure. It is still unknown why this mutation occurs. (Fee Halberstadt)
