Piebaldism gives them the X-Men factor

Medical Mysteries Medical Mysteries is a series that spotlights rare diseases or unusual conditions.

- Judith Tan

Toddler Mohamed Zain Azharuddin was born with a white forelock and patchy skin, giving him a passing resemblance to Marvel Comics' X-Men character Rogue.

But like any three-year-old, his superpower is to be unfazed by curious looks.

His confidence also stems from his father, Mr Azharuddin Mohamed Naseem, 37, who bleached his forelock to twin with his only child.

"I never wanted my son to feel alone in this," said Mr Azharuddin, a director of a construction company.

"Zain was two when I carried him in front of a mirror. He touched his white forelock, then my dark hair. His confused expression broke my heart. That's when I knew: My forelock would be white too. Now when strangers see us, they would say 'like father like son'.

"I usually smile and explain that actually, this father chose to follow his son. It's become a wonderful way to normalize his condition while creating special bonding moments between us," he told The Sunday Times.

Zain was born with a rare genetic condition called piebaldism, in which areas of skin and hair appear lighter than normal because of the absence or loss of pigment. Apart from his white forelock, he also has white birthmarks on other parts of his body, including his arms, stomach and legs.

"We weren't entirely surprised because my wife's family has a history of piebaldism, and we knew there was a possibility Zain could have it. However, as her relatives have smaller, more limited patches, with only one having a white forelock and a white patch on the forehead, we were not fully prepared for how widespread Zain's birthmarks would be," Mr Azharuddin said.

Like Zain, Stefanie Dowideit, 17, also has the condition, while her fraternal twin sister, Melissa, does not.

"I have always realised that I looked different from my sister," said the St Andrew's Junior College student.