Quote from RichardLongflopAh. I think I may know what genetic problem you're on about. Does it also often cause deafness? Waardenburg syndrome. Not complete deafness, but still. And aye, one may think that white hair is a bit... blech, but these things can come across better when you give a proper reason why. Like that genetic defect.
I mean, heck. I have a habit of giving my characters grey eyes because I have 'em.
Actually, it is just chronic Heterochromia, my father's family has it as a genetic disorder. My mom and my adopted brother also has it as I donated some of my blood to them (long story), and it is hell.
It attacks the pigments of our skin, eyes and hair as if it was a virus, though it rotates, sometimes the hair, sometimes the skin, sometimes the eyes. It also make us have unnatural colors that you would say that we are sick. One day, I woke up having the sclera of my eyes slightly purple and my iris being light brown. I just say that I dyed my hair, use contact glasses or I use whitening creams or I took to much sunlight, only my closest friends knows it.