Menkes syndrome also known as Kinky hair syndrome refers to a genetic disorder in which the hair is fragile and twisted ("kinky") and there is progressive deterioration of the brain and arterial changes leading to death in infancy. The condition is an inborn error of metabolism that markedly decreases the ability to absorb copper. It can usually be diagnosed by looking at the person's hair, which appears to be both whitish and kinked when viewed under a microscope.