Tired of Curly Hair? Researchers are supposedly developing a pill, which will allow you more control over your hair type.
The secret to straight or curly hair is in your genes. Scientists have now determined which gene causes your hair to curl and are now working a treatment to allow us more control over our hair from the inside, out. It is hoped that this breakthrough could lead to a pill to make hair straighter or curlier, rendering the must-have beauty accessories redundant.
In addition to controlling our straight or curly hair, discovery of the “curly gene” may have applications in police work. For instance, it may help police with DNA found at the scene of the crime by running genetic analysis and testing for this gene to see if the DNA indicates how straight, curly or wavy a suspect’s natural hair should look.
Scientists at Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Australia have identified the Trichohyalin Gene as being mainly responsible for creating curls. Although it was previously known to play a role in the development of the hair follicle, scientists have announced its role in determining curliness. Professor Nicholas Martin, author of the research, said that a variation in the gene determines the straightness or curliness of hair. He went on to state that: ‘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. ‘The most immediate application is in forensics. ‘We might be able to refine identikit pictures, using DNA to say whether the suspect had straight or curly hair.’
The study appears in the latest edition of the American Journal of Human Genetics.
