Scientists discover curly hair gene

BRISBANE, Australia, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Researchers at Australia's Queensland Institute of Medical Research said they have discovered the gene responsible for dictating the curliness of hair.

Researcher Professor Nick Martin said his team discovered variations in the trichohyalin gene, which was previously known to have a role in the development of hair follicles, are responsible for the curliness or straightness of hair, the Melbourne Herald-Sun reported Tuesday.

Martin said the discovery could have major implications for hair treatments.

"Potentially we can now develop new treatments to make hair curlier or straighter, rather than treating the hair directly," he said. "I will be discussing this with a major cosmetic company in Paris in January."

He said the find could also have applications in forensic science.

"We might be able to refine identikit pictures, using DNA to say whether the suspect had straight or curly hair," Martin said.