Tamed With Biotin : Cowlick Cure, Doctors Hope

CHICAGO — Doctors say they may have discovered a treatment for a rare childhood condition known as “uncombable hair” that could also help people with cowlicks.

Researchers from the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo say they have found that wild hair can be tamed with biotin, a B vitamin found in small amounts in most foods.

In the current Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Dr. Walter B. Shelley defined the “uncombable hair” syndrome as one “in which the scalp hair stands out, totally non-compliant with the wishes of any comb.”

The dermatologist said he believes that biotin could cure cowlicks because they may be a “localized” version of “uncombable hair.”

Uncombable hair is slow-growing and straw-colored. It appears normal to the eye but looks defective under a microscope.