Fox News: Teen with ‘werewolf syndrome’ breaks world record for hairiest face

[riky]

Teen with 'werewolf syndrome' breaks world record for hairiest face

Lalit Patidar, an 18-year-old in India, was found to have 201.72 hairs per square centimeter, covering 95% of his face, according to Guinness World Records.

                   
                       

A teenager has landed a spot in Guinness World Records for having the world's You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login.

Lalit Patidar, an 18-year-old from India, was found to have 201.72 hairs per square centimeter, covering 95% of his face, according to Guinness.

The excessive hair growth is the result of a rare medical condition called hypertrichosis, informally known as "werewolf syndrome."

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The condition can be genetic and can occur at birth, according to Healthline. There are also acquired cases that can occur as a result of other skin conditions, malnutrition, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, cancer or medication side effects.

There have only been around 50 documented cases of the condition worldwide, according to JAMA Dermatology.

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To confirm the record, Patidar saw a trichologist (You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login who treats hair and scalp disorders) to get an official measurement of his facial hairs.

The teen was excited to learn that he had broken the record.

"I am speechless, I don't know what to say, because I'm very happy to get this recognition," he said to Guinness.

Patidar also told Guinness that children were afraid of him when he first started school.

"They were scared of me, but when they started knowing me and talking to me, they understood I was not so different from them, and it was just on the outside that I looked different, but I'm not different inside," he said.

The teen is now embracing his uniqueness, and has started a YouTube channel that chronicles his daily life.

When people tell Patidar he should remove his facial hair, he shares the following response.

"I tell them that I like how I am and I don't want to change my look."

There is no cure for hypertrichosis, Healthline noted. 

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Hair can be removed through short-term methods (shaving, waxing, chemical peels, etc.) or through longer-term methods (electrolysis and You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login).

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