Do you know those days when you wake up looking like you rode a motorcycle all night? Their hair is so ruffled that it is impossible to find a way for them to settle. In the routine of little Shilah Yin, 7, this is something that happens EVERYDAY! She suffers from Impitable Hair Syndrome, a rare condition diagnosed in about 100 people around the world.

This problem causes hair to become golden and grow in different directions, making it impossible to comb. In Shilah's case, her parents noted that her normal newborn hair became rebellious when she was 2 months old.

The syndrome usually appears in early childhood or early adolescence and leaves the hair well weakened despite its dry, hardened appearance. Interestingly, optical microscopy does not reveal any anomaly in the capillary wires, and electron microscopy is required to note that about 50% of the wires have a longitudinal groove and a flat, triangular shape.

Early signs of the syndrome appeared in Shilah when she was still a baby

The hair cuticle, that is, the outer part of the hair, is also usually normal. In individuals who force brushing in an attempt to control their rebelliousness, there is the possibility of a more worn cuticle, but this is not the rule for patients with this syndrome. In Shilah's case, for example, her mother spends 10-20 minutes a day wearing wide-toothed combs just to untangle the strands, while her father ends up with a hair dryer to make his hair look at least cuter - something that the little girl loves it!

It is not yet known what causes hair to behave this way. Scientists believe it is a genetic condition, but in Shilah's family no one else has the same strands of hers. The syndrome has no cure, but over time the tendency is for the threads to become easier to handle and even to return to normal on their own!

Shilah on waking up (left) and after her parents try their best to lower her locks (right)