Lalit Patidar turned his ailment into an asset and became a social media influencer. Photo / Lalit Patidar
Lalit Patidar turned his ailment into an asset and became a social media influencer. Photo / Lalit Patidar
A teenager with the world’s hairiest face has shared some of the perks of living with “werewolf syndrome”.
In March last year Guinness World Records announced Lalit Patidar, who lives with hypertrichosis, was the record holder for the male hairiest face in the world, with 201.72 hairs per square centimetre.
Having hypertrichosis makes the 19-year-old from India one of the rarest people in the world. In all of history there have only been a few hundred cases reported, according to the research paper, A guide to diagnosis and management of hypertrichosis.
Being different has meant difficulties growing up with bullies, but in a world full of lookalikes, his hair landed Patidar his dream job: an online influencer.
Lalit Patidar, who lives with hypertrichosis, holds the certificate for having the world's hairiest face for a male. Photo / Lalit Patidar
“For me, being different is part of my identity. It makes me unique,” Patidar told The Sun.
“Even in a crowd of thousands or millions of people, I stand out.”
Being born with hypertrichosis is exceedingly rare. The earliest reported case of hypertrichosis was Petrus Gonsalvus in 1556, who was a gentleman in the court of Henry II of France.
Nicknamed “man of the woods”, his story would go on to inspire the fairy tale Beauty and The Beast.
Petrus Gonsalvus was one of the first reported cases of hypertrichosis, seen here in a painting from 1580. Picture / Ambras Collection
Developing hypertrichosis is more common (although still very rare). The most famous case was when 17 children developed the condition after taking contaminated drugs on Spain’s Costa del Sol. Symptoms usually reverse when patients stop the medication.
Instead of hiding, Patidar has turned his ailment into an asset. He now boasts 269,000 followers on Instagram and 106,000 on YouTube where he shares his life.
Patidar told The Sun receiving the Guinness World Record was a “proud moment”.
“One of my happiest moments was when I travelled to Italy for the first time.
“It was my first time sitting on a plane, and I felt like my dream of travelling the world was starting to come true.
“It was a very special moment for me, and I cannot fully describe how I felt in words.”
However, the excess hair does have downsides with everyday life.
“For example, it can affect eating, seeing clearly, and even hearing properly at times,” Patidar told The Sun.
“These are small challenges in daily life, but I have learned how to manage them.”
Patidar said he sometimes wishes he could have surgery to get rid of this excess hair “because I want to be friends with everyone” but so far can’t do much about his situation.
Short-term treatments involve waxing and plucking, while people can undergo laser surgery as a longer-term solution, however, none of these completely stop the underlying condition.
“I see it as something that makes me special, and it has become a part of who I am,” Patidar told The Sun.
