Hypertrichosis, a rare medical disorder that causes excessive hair growth on the body, especially the face, has been identified in 17-year-old Lalit Patidar of Central India. Lalit was labelled “monkey boy” by his peers as a result, and he struggled to establish friends. But all of that is behind him now; he has a regular social life and has even begun vlogging.
Lalit Patidar’s parents were surprised to see him for the first time.
When Lalit was born, his mother was taken aback as she noticed that his entire body was covered in hair. His father also remembered how the nurse attending the birth was surprised by Lalit’s appearance and called a doctor for an evaluation. However, the doctor reassured them that there was no cause for concern and simply shaved Lalit’s hair without any further intervention.
For several years, the family was puzzled by Lalit’s condition and attempted numerous treatments and remedies that appeared to have no effect. His mother explained, “The hair doesn’t grow longer or shorter. We inform everyone that it’s a birth anomaly.”
Lalit Patidar’s condition affects approximately 1 in 340 million people.
Hypertrichosis is a medical condition characterized by excessive hair growth all over the body. It is commonly known as “werewolf syndrome” due to the resemblance it bears to the physical traits often associated with werewolves. Medical experts believe that this condition is primarily a result of genetic mutations and is not associated with male hormones. Hypertrichosis is an exceptionally rare condition, affecting only one out of every 340 million individuals. This means that there are reported cases of approximately 50 people in the entire world who have been diagnosed with hypertrichosis.
The excessive hair causes a lot of discomfort on his face.
Due to his hypertrichosis, Lalit deals with a number of challenges every day. He has difficulty breathing, eating, and seeing. “I want my hair to disappear so I can mature without it. He said, “I want to get rid of it.
He explained that the hair irritates his eyes and makes it challenging for him to see. Hair gets into his mouth while he eats, which is very uncomfortable. Additionally, he occasionally has trouble breathing properly.
Besides, Lalit has also faced problems in his social life.
There is a social factor to take into account in addition to the physical challenges that Lalit encounters as a result of his illness. Lalit was made fun of by his classmates when he was a small child because of his features.
When they used to wander about, according to his companion, the other children would tease Lalit and refer to him as a “monkey,” and some of them would even throw stones at him. However, their instructor reprimanded the group and instructed them to refrain from making fun of others, especially Lalit. The ridiculing ceased after the teacher reprimanded them, and they all played as a group of friends.
Nevertheless, he now has a normal teenage life.
Lalit is currently leading a typical adolescent life and feels good about his situation despite all of his physical and social obstacles. Fortunately, the nicknames didn’t stop him from enjoying himself and making friends. He hopes to work as a police officer after his studies are done. Lalit currently has more than 100k followers on his Instagram account and is a frequent vlogger there.
Preview photo credit lalitpatidar520 / Instagram, lalitpatidar520 / Instagram
