On 14/5, The Paper reported that a mother in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, shared a video of her son with 9 naturally occurring, distinct hair whorls on his scalp. Nie, the boy's father, stated the family noticed this unique feature immediately after his birth.

Due to the numerous whorls, the boy's hair stands upright when it grows even a little. Many passersby have asked Nie why he ties his son's hair, forcing the family to keep the boy's hair very short. Social media users commented that if the child were a girl, styling would be easier by tying it up, but a boy might find it difficult to manage the upright hair as he grows older.

A boy with 9 hair whorls became popular on Chinese social media after his mother shared a video. Screenshot: Baidu

Regarding folk beliefs linking the number of hair whorls to intelligence, Doctor Wang, Head of the Department of Child Health at Chongqing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, refuted these claims. She described 9 hair whorls as an extremely rare clinical case, as most people have only mot, hai, or at most ba whorls. However, the expert emphasized this is merely a highly individualized physiological phenomenon, not a medical condition.

According to Doctor Wang, medicine refers to hair whorls as "hair spirals", which form according to the natural growth direction of hair follicles on the scalp. Polygenic inheritance determines their number, direction, and distribution. If parents or relatives have multiple hair spirals, the probability of a child having similar characteristics is higher.

Experts assess a child's intellectual development through motor and cognitive tests, not by using the number of whorls on the head as a standard for measurement or personality prediction.

Doctor Wang advises parents not to worry or quickly label their children as "stubborn" or "intelligent" based on appearance. Family environment, educational methods, and life experiences are the factors that directly impact a child's personality.

Instead of focusing on congenital physiological characteristics, parents should prioritize regular health monitoring and create a positive living environment for their children.

A boy with 9 hair whorls on his head. Video: Baidu

Binh Minh (According to Sina, The Paper, Sinchew Daily)