A little girl has been diagnosed with Uncombable Hair Syndrome, making her just one of just 100 people in the world believed to have the condition.
The 18-month-old tot, Layla Davis, first started showing symptoms of the condition at around one year old, according to mum Charlotte. Check out the clip below:
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According to the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, the syndrome is a 'rare disorder of the hair shaft of the scalp'.
Those that have the condition often have silvery-blond or straw-coloured hair that stands up on end and cannot be brushed flat.
Charlotte told This Morning during an interview about her daughter’s hair: “My mum was one person that kept saying, ‘I think she might have uncombable hair syndrome’ and I said, ‘it sounds made up!’
“We thought it’s such a silly-sounding name, it can’t be true, it can’t be a thing. But then people started tagging us on Facebook, friends started messaging us.
“So, I looked it up and I thought there are hardly any implications – she might get weak nails, she might get more eye infections but there’s hardly anything wrong – but then the next day, her nail fell off, so I’ve got to get her tested now!”
Prior to Layla first being spotted with the symptoms of the condition at 12 months old, the tot was actually born with dark, flat hair.
“Hair has always been a big thing for her, even when they did scans and she was in my tummy, you could see it on the scans,” Charlotte explained.
“Then when she was born, she was born with almost jet-black hair. It was dark brown, and there was loads of it. Loads of hair.”
However, as is common with most babies during the first six months of life, Layla’s dark hair began to fall out.
“Then when she got to four months, it started to fall out and she went completely bald. Then when it grew back, she grew back [her hair] as the Layla we all know and love.”
The condition has been found to be caused by genetic changes in the genes involved in hair shaft formation, but the condition usually settles by the time the child reaches adolescence.
Reflecting on the fact that the condition can naturally reverse on its own, Charlotte said she will feel ‘a little bit sad’ if that is the case.
“I think she rocks the look,” the doting mum said of toddler Layla.
“It’s nice that she’s different, and I want her to know that it’s a good thing… We’re all proud.”
