I feel like everyone always wants what they don’t have.  Especially when it comes to hair.  Don’t you want to know what makes hair curly?  Scientists in Australia have identified a single gene that strongly influences whether you have curly or straight hair, according to PhysOrg.com.

The study looked for genetic variations in people of European descent to identify genes associated with curly and straight hair.  People of European descent have 45% straight hair, 40% wavy, and 15% naturally curly hair.  Professor Martin and colleague Dr. Sarah Medland have previously found there is up to a 90% chance of inheriting the curly hair trait.  The scientists, from the Genetic Epidemiology Laboratory at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) in Brisbane, identified the TCHH gene (trichohyalin) on chromosome one as the major gene controlling the curliness of hair.  TCHH has been known for over 20 years to play a role in the development of hair follicles.  It is expressed in the inner root sheath of developing hair follicles.  Curlies have long been told that it is follicle shape that determines curliness, so presumably this gene affects the follicle shape.
Leader of the team Professor Nick Martin said that variations in the gene determine how straight or curly the hair is, but more work is needed to determine the exact variant that influences curliness.  Professor Martin said a variation that causes a change in an amino acid is the most likely contender.
Hair morphology has been studied extensively in Asian populations, and research carried out in Japan last year determined the genetic basis for the straight, thick hair common in East Asian populations.  The differences in the FGFR2 and EDAR genes found in Asia are thought to have originated after East Asian and European populations diverged.  Much less is known about the genetic basis of straight and curly hair in Europeans.
The study analyzed data collected from a 30-year study of 5000 twins of European ancestry.  The twins were asked whether their hair was curly, wavy or straight, and the researchers then tried to match the hair type against the data on the genomes of the twins.
The paper was published on November 5 in the online edition of the American Journal of Human Genetics. The research is likely to have applications in the cosmetics industry and in forensics, where the knowledge may help in identifications.

Scientists who discovered the curly gene previously talked about, are developing a treatment that could spell the end of hair straighteners.  It is hoped the breakthrough could lead to a pill to make hair straighter or curlier, rendering the must-have beauty accessory redundant.   The discovery will also make it possible to predict whether a baby will have straight or curly hair.

It may even help police like they had hoped, with DNA found at the scene of the crime indicating how wavy a suspect’s locks are.
Professor Martin said it may be possible to come up with treatments to make hair straighter rather than relying on heated hair straighteners.   He said: “Potentially we can now develop new treatments to make hair curlier or straighter, rather than treating the hair directly.  “I will be discussing this with a major cosmetic company in Paris in January,” he said.

I think this is L’Oreal they are speaking of since they have been trying to come out with a pill for a long time.  I think this would be a great thing if they really did come out with a pill to fix the texture of your hair.  Who knows how costly it will be but I know we all hate spending tons of money on relaxers like the Keratin, or Japanese Relaxers.  Maybe we’ll find out next month!

• Being a Redhead is a Pain
• The Morning Dish: Does Carrying a Fake Make you a Fake?
• Scientists Say Girls Should Really Wait Until They Are 21 To Drink
• New Pill To Prevent Premature Ejaculation Available In The U.K. Tomorrow!
• Injections Could Give Males a Shot At Birth Control

Trackback URI | Comments RSS