Should I be worried about my daughter’s white eye lashes?
OCT 05, 2015
Question:
My 1-year-old daughter has white eye lashes on the left side and brown eye lashes on the right side. I read that this can relate to some eye problems. She has a small white streak in her hair on the left side as well, but no patches on her skin. Her eyes are grey-greenish. Should I be worried?
Answer:
This condition is known as poiliosis. This is a condition in which there is a decrease or absence of melanin (pigment, or color) in the lashes and hair. It can form a "Mallen Streak." There are several inheritable conditions (passed down from your parents) such as Waardenburg syndrome (a genetic condition that can cause hearing loss and differences in the coloring of hair and eyes) and tuberous sclerosis (a condition that causes non-cancerous tumors to form in the body) which this condition may present. Discussing this with your pediatrician and scheduling an eye exam with your ophthalmologist is recommended.