It’s caused by a rare genetic birthmark
An 11-year-old girl from Lincoln born with two-coloured hair caused by a rare genetic birthmark says ‘it makes me who I am’.
Bella Hill was born with a rare birth mark, which her mum Jenny later discovered was Poliosis, caused by low amounts of melanin (pigment that gives skin and hair colour).
It means she naturally has hair that is half blonde and half brunette, as well as different coloured eyelashes. Although it is genetic, Bella is the only one in her family who has the two-coloured hair.
Her eyelashes are also different colours to each other. | Photo: Jenny Hill
Bella with the family’s Cockapoo Martha. | Photo: Jenny Hill
It isn’t causing any harm and is not classed as a medical condition, but it is certainly a talking point that Bella gets asked about regularly.
Bella, who has a 14-year-old brother, Riley, and four-year-old sister, Lilah, told The Lincolnite: “I think it’s cool because nobody else has it and my friends always comment on it saying they wish they had hair like mine.
“I feel unique, but I don’t know any different, it’s part of what makes me who I am.”
The two-coloured hair was noticeable when Bella was only one-year-old. | Photo: Jenny Hill
Bella is proud of her hair and embraces the different colours. | Photo: Jenny Hill
Her mum Jenny said it was noticeable from birth but it became more apparent when she was around one, and she used to dress up as Anna from Frozen due to her hair.
Over the past few years she said her daughter’s hair has “become a lot more striking” as the contrast can be seen more on the side where it is brunette.
Bella’s hair is half blonde and half brunette. | Photo: Jenny Hill
Jenny told The Lincolnite: “Bella is a confident young lady. She’s never been shy or embarrassed by it. She gets asked questions on a daily basis which becomes monotonous, but she is so used to it, it’s all she’s ever known.
“At first I thought she might get picked on when she’s older, but that hasn’t happened, and her hair has shaped who she is and made her even more unique.
“Her eyelashes aren’t always noticed straight away but they are also completely different. Bella embraces the difference in both her hair and eyelashes, and she gets too many comments about it to want to change it.
Bella’s hair as a child. | Photo: Jenny Hill
Bella’s hair now. | Photo: Jenny Hill
It was exciting for Bella a few years ago when her and her mum met a little boy in ASDA with similar hair, who she then spoke to. More recently, Jenny has even heard from a woman in Canada who told her she’d never met anyone else with hair like her own before.
In her spare time, Bella is very sporty and loves gymnastics, netball and football, as well as being creative and doing art.
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