Poliosis

Poliosis circumscripta is a condition characterized by localized patches of white hair due to a reduction or absence of melanin in hair follicles. Although traditionally associated with the scalp, poliosis can affect any hairy area on the body, including eyebrows, eyelashes, and beards. Microscopically, poliosis is marked by the lack of melanin or melanocytes in the hair bulbs, though epidermal melanocytes typically remain unaffected unless associated with conditions like vitiligo.

It is commonly referred to as a "white forelock", and sometimes as a "Mallen streak" after Catherine Cookson's The Mallen Streak which features it.

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