subject: Hair Without Pigment [print this page] Hair is made up of a similar arrangement to the materials that make up the skin, which is why hair loss disorders are sometimes a result of certain skin issues, and vice versa. While albinism doesnt necessarily have an impact on hair shedding and hair loss, it does affect the appearance of the hair, and sometimes its nature.
Albinism (otherwise known as achromia, achromasia and achromatosis), characterised by either partial or total absence of pigmentation in the skin is a hereditary disorder caused by a lack of or defected enzyme which produces melanin (found in the hair too). When the recessive gene alleles is inherited, albinism is developed, in both human and animals.
In some circumstances, the eyes are affected by the lack of pigmentation and the reduced melanin production. Photophobia and astigmatism are common issues related the vision defects due to a lack of skin pigmentation, which also increases ones risk of sunburn and skin cancer.
Oculocutaneous albinism is a major type of the disorder whereby major organs and bodily functions can be affected, most commonly the eyes, skin and hair, whereas a less severe type of albinism ocular, only affects the eyes.
The appearance of those with oculocutaenous albinism is pretty stereotyped. Usually, those with the lack of pigmentation appear white or very pale. This is because they are deficient or lacking in melanin pigments, which give brown, black and some shades of yellow colourations. Sometimes the only sign that someone has ocular albinism is that they have very pale blue eyes, with only genetic testing to prove that the disorder is present.
Pigmentation can actually naturally be lost at some points in life, causing hair to go platinum white or even grey. When it comes to hiding this, sometimes hair dyes do work. A blonde hair dye should sometimes work, however for the best outcome a multi-stage process, including using a base colour, low lighting and then the dye may be required. In other cases, lots of colours may need to be blended to create the most natural looking result.
If you would like further advice on styling and colouring the hair due to a loss of pigmentation, or you are looking to purchase a human hair wig for any reason, contact Bloomsbury of London a highly esteemed hair clinic specialising in hair loss for any reason, as well as providing ethically sourced human hair wigs from willing donors who are given a direct profit for selling their hair.
