“Funny hair” was the only diagnosis that had been made on a two-year-old boy. His mother said she had never been able to comb it. Indeed, the little lad's straw-colored hair stood straight out from his scalp and was totally noncompliant with the wishes of any comb. It was right out of the old German fairy-tale featuring “Struwel Peter.” Here was a boy whose hair was a mess (Strüwel), never once combed, looking as if electrostatic forces were in complete control. Indeed they were.

But why? Not only was the hair noncombable, but it came out in clumps on gentle pulling. It grew very slowly and was the same length as it was six months ago despite never having been cut. The hairs were fragile and thin, and broke when they were twisted. Reflected light gave the hairs a spangled appearance. The eyelashes, eyebrows, fingernails, toenails, and teeth were all normal. His parents and brother, as well as other relatives, had normal hair. He had always been in good health, except for two attacks of ear infection (otitis media).

Under the microscope the hairs appeared to be normal, showing no nodes, knots, rings, twists, or fractures. Ultraviolet light examination revealed no evidence of ringworm infection.

It was not the physical examination, nor the blood and urine studies, that made the diagnosis. It was the scanning electron microscope.