Having little melanin in your eyes, skin and hair is known as oculocutaneous albinism. "The major role of melanin pigment in the skin is to absorb the ultraviolet (UV) light that comes from the sun so that the skin is not damaged." Because of a lack of this in people with albinism, their skin burns easily, so they are not usually able to go outside in daytime. The melanin in hair follicles give it color, causing those who lack it to have white hair. Although melanin is present in the brain as well, but the purpose of it there is not known. The melanin in the eyes is needed for normal vision development. Because of this, those who have albinism have impaired vision. Many eye problems arise from albinism. For example, it is common to see a person with albinism with extreme near-sightedness and far-sightedness. It is also very common to have astigmatism, which is an eye condition that causes a decreased sharpness of vision. Ocular albinism is a form in which only the eyes lack pigment. Most forms of these are X-Linked, meaning they are mainly in males. Other problems include Nystagmus, Strabismus, and sensitivity to light. Nystagmus is a condition in which there is frequent involuntary movement of the eyes. This can be treated by surgery, contact lenses, or by more common methods such as "a head tilt or turn that decreases the movement and may improve vision." Strabismus is a problem that involves the improper alignment of the eyes, which can be treated by surgery and injection of medicine into muscles near the eye, but this only helps to a certain extent. During infancy, before full usage of the eye is reached, many small children with albinism have a patch placed on their preferred eye so that they feel more comfortable using the other. The use of glasses also helps in their alignment. Sensitivity to light is also a problem. "Contrary to a common idea, this sensitivity does not limit people with albinism from going out into the sunlight.
