Do people with OA always have fair skin, blonde hair and blue eyes?
No, because racial and ethnic characteristics play a considerable role in the development of the ‘normal’ pigmentation. Certainly, among European-Americans, many infants have fair skin and light hair. However, males with X-linked OA may have quite brown or even almost black hair and eyes of various colors ranging to light brown. However, most males with X-linked OA do have fair skin when compared to their unaffected siblings at comparable ages, and almost all of them will burn their skin in the sun before they tan. In African-Americans and Hispanics, the skin changes can be quite subtle, particularly among ‘light-skinned’ African-Americans. Some males will have blotchiness or patches of skin that are quite fair. Hair color is typically lighter than unaffected siblings and parents, however.
