Struwwelpeter, a character from a German children's book, is often used as a warning for kids who do not practice proper hygiene. He appears with tangled and matted hair. Unfortunately, some kids have the kind of hair regardless of how neat they are. Scientists found out that this look is due to a rare genetic mutation that causes what is described as "uncombable hair syndrome."

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According to research, there are three genes responsible for the hair shaft disorder resulting in frizzy, dry and pale locks that make flat combing impossible. The researchers diagnosed the condition by splitting the hair strands in half and used a high-powered scanning electron microscope to examine the abnormal features.

The normal microscopic appearance of straight hair is round while curly hair will have an asymmetrical look. However, in the case of "uncombable hair syndrome," the strands are either heart-shaped or triangular when examined at cross section. The strands also show grooves from root to end. The genes responsible for this look are PADI3, TGM3, and TCHH. These genes dictate the process of developing abnormally-shaped strands. The first one is responsible for protein encoding while the other two play a role in enzyme production.

Researchers say that a defect in one of the mentioned genes will affect the stability and structure of a person's hair. The study, which was published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, discusses a very rare case that only 100 individuals have been reported to have it.

Regina Betz of the University of Bonn was successful in finding 11 young individuals carrying the DNA mutation. However, the team surmises that not everyone with the syndrome has been accounted for since a "bad hair day" is usually not regarded as a physician-concern.

The good news is that this genetic mutation does not pose any adverse health effects.