A teenager from Madhya Pradesh has raised many eyebrows around the world. The boy from MP is suffering from an incredibly rare condition, known popularly as Werewolf syndrome that causes him to have dense fur all over his body. Reportedly, 17-year-old Lalit Patidar, a resident of Nandleta village is suffering from hypertrichosis, defined by Healthline as a condition characterized by excessive hair growth anywhere on a person’s body. Furthermore, Lalit was quoted saying that his friends are afraid of him and that he may bite them and the disease might gets transferred to them as well.
What is hypertrichosis?
Hypertrichosis was first identified in Nandleta village student Lalit Patidar, now 17, when he was just six years old. It’s called 'hypertrichosis' because it causes excessive hair growth everywhere. Just 50 persons, dating back to the Middle Ages, are thought to have experienced this illness. Everything on Lalit’s body is thick with hair. His friends refer to him as 'monkey boy' and claim to be terrified of him because of his reputation for biting. Furthermore, Lalit was quoted by a British media outlet saying, "I come from a normal family, my father is a farmer, and I am currently a senior in high school studying in 12th grade. At the same time, I help my father in his farming work."
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Lalit further said, "I have had this hair my whole life, my parents say the doctor shaved me at birth but I didn’t really notice anything was different about me until I was around six or seven years old. That’s when I first took notice that the hair was growing all over my body like no one else I knew. Since then I have found out it is because I have a condition called hypertrichosis. It is rare and as far as I know 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."
For the unversed, Hypertrichosis, also known as werewolf syndrome, is a condition characterized by excessive hair growth anywhere on a person’s body. It can affect both women and men, but it’s extremely rare. The abnormal hair growth may cover the face and body or occur in small patches. Hypertrichosis can appear at birth or develop over time. The causes of hypertrichosis aren’t well understood, though there is a form of the disease that tends to run in families.