Perm in a pill: scientists discover the curly-hair gene
Posted Thursday, December 17, 2009
Are you a curly girl who's always wanted straight strands? A flat-haired dreamer who longs for ringlets? When it comes to hair, it's said that you always want what you don't have. However, a new finding by Australian scientists could lead to letting you switch your hair texture by popping a pill.
It sounds like science fiction, but Nick Martin of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research tells the UK's Daily Mail: "Potentially, we can now develop new treatments to make hair curlier or straighter, rather than treating the hair directly." How? It's due to the discovery of the gene that predicts whether a person will have curly or straight hair.
Already known to influence follicle development, the trichohyalin gene has now been found to determine the curliness of its host's hair. In addition to predicting what a baby's hair texture will be and helping forensic specialists establish if a perp has a wavy mane, this discovery could mean a future free of flattening and curling irons, chemical straightening treatments and perms.
How far in future? Martin says, "I will be discussing this with a major cosmetic company in Paris in January."
Would you take a pill to change the texture of your hair? Tell us why or why not by leaving a comment below.
Tags: curly hair, genetics, research, straightening, study, trichohyalin