Woolly antics between the sheaths.

Hair is a potent cultural signal that when perceived as deficient can invite psychological trauma. Over the past few decades, researchers have successfully dissected several controls for hair follicle development and growth. However, we know relatively little about the genetic controls for hair fiber form and texture, despite wide variability in the expression of hair phenotypes among different, even very closely related, individuals. In this issue, Shimomura et al. present some intriguing insights into the potential role for lipase H in the control of hair form and texture.