Most people have a bad hair day now and then – but Sam Barley celebrates his unique unruly locks every day.
The 10-year-old from Humberston, North East Lincolnshire, has a rare condition called uncombable hair syndrome.
Scientists know of only about 100 cases of the genetic disorder, which is characterised by frizzy hair that is difficult to comb flat.
Sam said he was proud of his blond barnet, declaring: “It’s ok to be different and have rare hair.”
“People always come up to me and ask ‘have you bleached it? What have you done to your hair? It looks like you stuck your finger in a plug socket,'” he said.
Uncombable hair syndrome, also known as “spun glass hair syndrome,” is a rare condition caused by a genetic mutation.
The shaft of the hair can be triangular or heart-shaped, compared to normal hair which has a circular cross-section, according to research published in the American Journal of Human Genetics.
Researchers said the condition, which usually occurs in childhood, improves with age in most cases.
