MP: Teenage Boy Has Hair Growing All Over His Body
Lalit Patidar, a teenager from Madhya Pradesh, has the rare "Werewolf Syndrome," causing excessive hair growth, discrimination, and no known cure.
A photo has been going viral on social media for a few months. In which a boy has an abnormal amount of hair growth all over his body. The boy’s name is Lalit Patidar and he is from Madhya Pradesh. Lalit has a rare condition called Hypertrichosis. But it is popularly called the “Werewolf Syndrome”
What Is 'Werewolf Syndrome?'
It is a rare condition seen in human beings when there's an abnormal amount of hair growth all over a person’s body. The condition is rather rare as it is believed that only around 50 people have had the syndrome since the Middle Ages (400 - 500 years ago). Patidar is not 17 - 18 years old and was diagnosed with the condition at the young age of 6 years.
As a result of his rare condition, Lalit faces discrimination and isolation in school. His classmates call him “monkey boy” . They stay away from him as they are afraid that he will someday "bite" them. While talking about his life, Lalit shared, “I come from a normal family, my father is a farmer. I study as well as help my father in his farming work.”
“I have had the illness since birth. My parents say the doctor shaved me at birth but I didn't really notice anything was different about me until I was around 6 or 7 years old. That's when I first took notice that the hair was growing all over my body like no one else I knew.” Lalit continued, “Since then I have found out it is because I have a condition. It is rare and only fifty people in the world have been affected by this. There is no history of hair growth conditions in my family, I am the only one who has this disease.” Lalit is not worried about his condition though his parents do find it hard not to dwell on how others treat him.
He shared that he does trim his hair from time to time but does not wish to overturn his appearance. Lalit is confident in himself and does not believe that anything is wrong with him, “I am different from common humans. I am unique. I learned many things, most importantly I learned that I am one in a million, I should never give up, and live life to the fullest. I always want to move forward and be happy.” Since there is no treatment Lalit uses bleaching, cutting, shaving, waxing, lasers, and other hair removal techniques to try to keep the hair at bay.
