My mom’s been abused in the street because of my unique look – they accused her of bleaching my hair as a baby
A MALLEN streak, which is a sign of a rare hair condition called poliosis, is the absence of melanin in the hair resulting in a white streak.
Well, born with poliosis, Las Vegas-based TikTok user Malia was no stranger to people wrongfully criticizing her mom for “bleaching” her hair when she was growing up.
In a storytime shared with her 13k TikTok followers, Malia detailed the moment her mom stood up against another woman who dared criticize her.
According to her, when she was a baby, her mother took her to the grocery store where she was then allegedly accused of bad parenting for “bleaching” her baby’s hair.
While standing at the check-out line, a woman boldly approached Malia’s mother and gave her a slew of hate.
Malia alleged: “[The lady] didn’t even ask.
“Just straight up came up to my mom [like] you’re a f*****g terrible mother, how could you do that to your baby?!
“Why would you put chemicals on its head.”
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Of course, the mom, who was taken aback by the stranger’s boldness, immediately educated her about her daughter’s birth mark.
According to Web MD, there are two different types of poliosis – acquired and genetic.
Acquired poliosis can be caused by some autoimmune conditions, certain medications, various eye diseases, shingles, vitiligo, and more.
At the moment there is no effective treatment for poliosis, and white hair from poliosis cannot turn dark again.
Another woman with poliosis named Cassandra Messmer previously talked to MODERN to share her experience with poliosis in adulthood.
She detailed: “I am 26-years-old and yes, I get stopped by people on almost a daily basis, because of my hair.
“Not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just people can’t wrap their head around it. It isn’t a terrible thing to have and not life-threatening, just fascinating.
“My latest episode was interesting, to say the least. Standing in the supermarket checkout line.
“A lady tapped me on the shoulder said, “Hi my name is —–, I noticed your highlights are uneven and was wondering if you noticed your hairstylist messed up?
“I am a hair stylist I can fix that for you. By the way beautiful curls!”
She continued: “Oh this is just one of many scenarios I have gone through, I am used to it. Since I have curly hair it is also a hand-magnet.
“Everyone under the sun wants to touch my hair, which means instant fuzzy hair, anyone with curls will know what I am talking about.”
Having a similar experience to Malia, Messmer also noted: “As a baby/toddler my mom would get yelled at by other mothers saying, “How dare you dye your baby’s hair.”
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