Every day is a bad hair day for this tufty tot.
A Georgia mom is campaigning to spread awareness and positivity after her 1-year-old son, Locklan, was diagnosed with “uncombable hair syndrome” (UHS) — a rare condition afflicting about 100 people around the world.
“We have zero clue why he has it but we’re so glad he does,” Katelyn Samples, 33, told Jam Press of her tot’s untamable mane.
The Atlanta native and her husband Caleb, also 33, first noticed something was awry when Locklan turned 5 months old and his hair started to grow.
“It was coming in straight up and so soft and fuzzy,” Samples told Jam Press. “As it continued to grow it never laid down.”
However, the mother of two thought nothing of it until a stranger messaged her this past summer on Instagram and asked if her tyke had “uncombable hair syndrome” — something Samples had never heard of until that point, Good Morning America reported.
Fearing the worst, the distraught mom did a “deep Google dive” into the affliction, a genetic condition in which a structural anomaly in the hair prevents it from being flattened or combed, leaving it chronically unkempt. UHS generally affects kids between the ages of 3 months to 3 years, although patients as old as 12 have been reported. And while there have only been 100 recorded cases, medical experts say some could be unreported, according to NHS.
Samples subsequently reported to the pediatrician, whereupon she was referred to a pediatric dermatologist/specialist at Emory in Atlanta due to the rarity of the condition, Jam Press reported. Doctors took samples of Locklan’s hair and three weeks later, confirmed that he did indeed have UHS.
While initially being alarmed, Samples was relieved after discovering that Locklan’s affliction was solely cosmetic.
“Hearing your son has a genetic ‘condition’ isn’t easy, especially because it’s so rare there isn’t a lot of information on it, but as I learned as much as I could and connected with other parents around the world (in a UHS Facebook group), I became less scared and more appreciative of how unique Locklan is,” she said. “Other than wild and crazy cool hair, he is perfectly healthy and VERY happy!”
Not only that but her pride and joy’s tufts are paradoxically low maintenance as they’re still relatively short.
“His hair doesn’t need to be washed much … maybe once a week,” Locklan’s grateful mom said. “It’s water resistant so it takes a minute to saturate with water and gentle shampoo.”
Unsurprisingly, Locklan’s distinctive follicles have made him a “little celebrity” with strangers approaching the family wherever they ago, according to Samples.
“They ask about his hair, and sometimes even ask to touch it!” gushed the proud parent. “We really can’t go anywhere without at least one person making a comment on his hair. It is almost always from a good place!”
Unfortunately, not all the gawkers have been so kind.
“However the mean/rude/sarcastic comments happen too and it breaks my heart,” said Samples, adding that some haters have called his hair “crazy” or claim that he “looks like he stuck his finger in a socket.” Others have analogized Locklan to a baby chick and a dandelion while some have even cruelly sniped, “that baby wakes up every day with a bad hair day.”
“For now myself and my husband are the only ones to have to deal with it but as Lock gets older he will too,” lamented Samples.
Thankfully, like Dumbo with his oversized ears, the determined mother is treating his unique locks as a point of pride.
“Lock’s hair is truly a source of joy and we celebrate it,” gushed Samples, who created an Instagram account following Locklan’s diagnosis in October to share pics of her son and spread awareness of UHS. Entitled @Uncomable_Locks, the page already has almost 18,000 followers.
“Our biggest message is to celebrate what makes you stand out and what makes you different and hopefully bring awareness to this uncombable hair syndrome and hopefully, we can get more information,” Samples told “Good Morning America.” “If you think your kid might have it, go inquire and ask questions and be your child’s advocate.”
Currently, there are no treatments for UHS, however, doctors say the condition tends to go away on its own over time.
In a similar story from 2017, a 1-year-old girl was diagnosed with the genetic condition, which resulted in her suffering from permanent bedhead.
