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Many people have to spend hours at a salon to change their hair colour, but for British schoolgirl Bella Hill it takes just a few seconds
The 11-year-old was born with two hair colours and she can switch between being a blonde or brunette depending on her mood or outfit.
Wait, what?
Bella was born with a rare genetic condition called poliosis, which creates a lack of pigment in hair. The result is that half of her hair is ice blonde, while the other half is brunette.
Her mother, nursing student Jenny Hill (35), says the condition is "really different and unique".
"My mom pointed it out when she was born, but I was in too much pain at the time to notice."
Jenny explains that during summer Bella's hair gets fairer.
"The blonde is an ice blonde, like it’s been bleached and it goes all the way underneath in an unusual pattern. If she has it in a certain style, she’s blonde but if she changes her parting, she’s brunette.
"She prefers her hair lighter when she wears more girly clothes and pastel colours but when she wears her hoodies and joggers, she wears it up so it’s dark."
It's become a conversation piece wherever Bella goes.
"It would take us hours to get round the supermarket because people would stop and admire Bella's hair or ask if we'd dyed it,” says Jenny.
"I was a hairdresser when I was pregnant with Bella so it was a running joke that maybe I'd been around the bleach too much."
It’s a trendy look for the schoolgirl, who says many of her peers have taken a liking to it.
Bella says she doesn't have a favourite shade, "it depends on what outfit I'm wearing".
Neither Jenny, nor Bella’s siblings, Riley (14) or Lilah (4), have shown any signs of poliosis.
Jenny says they’ve only ever spotted one person with a similar look.
“We were in the supermarket once and we saw another boy with a patch of hair like Bella’s. It was really exciting.
"Bella pointed him out and said 'he’s got hair like me,' so we went over because we haven’t seen anyone else before,” she says.
- Poliosis occurs either at birth or develops along the way
- It's not harmful on its own, but rather points to a lack of melanin in the affected area. It can affect lashes, brows and hair
- The light patch of hair can easily be covered up by dyeing
SOURCES: DAILYMAIL.CO.UK, MIRROR.CO.UK, METRO.CO.UK, HEALTHLINE.COM, SCIENCEDIRECT.COM
