Imagine waking up one fine day to find a patch of white hair on your head! What will you do? No doubt, you will get the shock of your life – you will freak out and start screaming like a lunatic, that’s what I’ll do!
White hair patch on head is a hair disorder, which is medically termed as poliosis. It can be seen in both male and female of any age and there may be various causes behind this condition. But, whatever the reason, it looks weird and takes a toll on our self esteem. So, let us dig deeper into poliosis today and learn more about it.
Poliosis is a small ‘localized patch’ of white hair (forelock or streak at the front of the hairline) that develops in regular hair. In this condition, the melanin pigment present in the hair follicles of that area decreases significantly, which results in the discoloration of the strands. Depending upon the underlying causes of this de-pigmentation, poliosis can be both short-term and long-term. It can be found in people of all ages, irrespective of gender. Though it is mainly seen on the head, but one can develop this white hair patch even on the other parts of the body too.
Poliosis or those white patches of hair on the head can be divided into the following two categories:
1. Genetic / Congenital: Sometimes, these white patches of hair can be hereditary. They can be present at the time of birth of a baby due to mutation of certain genes or other genetic issues.
2. Acquired: If not congenital, poliosis is considered as acquired. It can be the side or after effect of certain medical conditions that becomes visible in the later parts of life.
There is a wide variety of causes lying behind the formation of such white hair patches on head. We have listed them below:
As this hair disorder is not associated with a single medical condition, it is important to go for a thorough checkup for the proper diagnosis. At first, the healthcare professional would go through the detailed medical history as well as the family record of the patient. After that, the following assessments would be carried out:
Proper treatment of poliosis is yet to be discovered, especially if it is congenital. However, there are quite a few preventive methods that can be followed to avoid such conditions in the later phase of life. These include:
If the tuft of white hair bothers you too much, simply dye it regularly. You can also opt for a hairstyle that will help you hide that weird part of your hair. And the salt and pepper look can give a certain character to your appearance, if you can carry it!
Is this article helpful? Do not forget to leave a comment below.