UNCOMBABLE.COM
Rock it
LANDON'S UNCOMBABLE STORY
When I was a baby and my hair began to grow, there was something different about it. My hair was blonde, but also dry, frizzy, and stood up as if I had been electrocuted. As my hair grew longer, these features became even more noticeable. My parents actually loved how unique I looked and never wanted to cut my hair. For the first four years of my life, I never had a single haircut, as my hair continued to grow wild in all different directions.
My mom was convinced that my hair had to do with her Jamaican ancestors, while my dad thought it was the tons of hair gel, he used that caused this. Either way, my parents kept wanting me to “rock it” and just let it grow. However, I learned later, as I got older, that not everyone was always accepting, a fan, or kind about my hair.
When I was about three years old, my family doctor suggested seeing a dermatologist. He was concerned about the unusual texture of my hair and wondered if I was missing any vitamins or lacking anything else that could affect my unusual hair growth. My parents booked an appointment with a specialist at the University of Miami. As soon as the doctor looked at me, she immediately diagnosed me with “Uncombable Hair Syndrome.” At first, my parents thought that was just another bad joke about my hair, but the doctor showed them that it was a real condition, with only 100 cases reported worldwide. The doctor told them that in most cases, children born with Uncombable Hair Syndrome start to see a change as they enter their teenage years. However, some adults live with it their entire lives.
Now that I’m older, my parents shared some stories with me about my childhood and my hair. They told me strangers would often make comments as they passed by. Most of the comments were harmless; people would say I looked like a “rockstar” or a mad scientist. However, many people just stared, pointed at me, and even whispered comments to each other.
One particular story I was told was the time my parents were exploring preschools for me. A principal of one particular school was overheard making comments to other parents about my hair. It was surprising that even a preschool principal would single out a child for looking different.
My parents shared other stories with me too, such as people stopping us in a mall or while food shopping to ask about my hair. No matter all of the comments or the attention that my hair came with, my parents still continued to have me “rock it,” believing it would make me strong, or as my dad said, “have thick skin.”
As I entered my teenage years, I became more self-conscious about my hair, often hiding it under a hooded sweatshirt or a hat. I really started to hate my hair; I wanted to look like the other kids for once. I tried so many different haircuts and styles, and nothing seemed to ever work or look “styled.” This was a really hard time for me.
By fourteen, my friends started to grow out their hair longer. I decided to grow out my hair longer too. I wanted to see if my hair would still be uncombable or if it would have gone away as the doctor said it could. Although the texture and unusual growth pattern were the same, I just owned it and started to “rock it” again. Did my Uncombable Hair Syndrome actually go away, or did I just decide not to care what others think? I’m not sure, and it really doesn’t matter. What matters is that it’s pretty cool to be different and just “rock” how you look.
With my new found confidence, I wanted to share my uncombable experience with other kids who may be experiencing something similar. Today, there are still only 107 reported cased worldwide. I created www.uncombable.com, to provide information and raise awareness about Uncombable Hair Syndrome. My goal is to connect and share stories with families around the world with uncombable loved ones.
If you have a similar experience, please share your story on UNCOMBABLE. Thank you for visiting.
