Hello fellow readers/writers/book lovers. I just have one question that has to do with a character I am making for a book I want to write. Basically, this character (names Leilani Acosta) is albino, and while writing answers to questions I made on canva to get to know the character better, I got to the question “does this character have any scars/birthmarks?” and I thought that giving Leilani a birthmark would be a cute detail, but she’s albino and I have no idea if actual albino people can have birthmarks.
I have searched up if albino people can have birthmarks on the internet, but I have found nothing. Can anyone give me an answer?
Also if anyone is asking why I asked this question on the r/books page, it is because I thought that some people here who have read/written books may have read or written about an albino character, meaning they might know something about this topic.
Thank you for your time 😊
by Moony_Eclipse
7 Comments
[deleted]
Not a biologist here so this is an educated guess.
Albinism is the absence of melanin, but birthmarks can be caused by many factors, including excess melanin, blood vessels, etc.
So yes, I think albino people absolutely can have birthmarks, but I’m guessing they’ll have more of certain types of birthmarks simply because they don’t have melanin.
Yes, albino people can have birthmarks like anybody else. They will have little to no melanin, obviously, but other characteristics like a different texture, more hair or an outright mole will still exist. Additionally, many albino people will develop freckles or liver spots due to sun exposure. Types of birthmarks not dependent on melanin will still show as normal.
As an albino person, I hope that you’re aware that our eyesight is universally not good to very bad, because the lack of melanin means part of eye maturity doesn’t happen for us in utero, thus it’s uncorrectable. I see pretty well, considering. My friend sees less well, but is a whiz in the kitchen. Neither of us could get a driver’s license. Some people with albinism try it, but invariably have enough accidents (not a lot of depth perception) and quit. Also, bullying in school is very common; too many parents teach their kids intolerance of differences.
I would strongly encourage you to find and talk to people with actual experience of albinism, not rely on what random folks on r/books may have read.
What we have read might have been written by someone who was not precisely diligent about research.
[Nathan Hurd is an albino black comedian and actor. ](https://youtube.com/@NathanHurdComedy?si=DEySeiKJV_e4eSQ-)
I don’t know if he’s talked about that specifically, but he does talk about what it’s like and how people perceive him. Plus, he’s hilarious.
When doing research on people from a particular community, it’s best to ask members of that community.