Guinness World Records: Meet Lalit Patidar, An 18-Year-Old With The Hairiest Face In The World (Photo: Instagram/@guinnessworldrecords)
India's Lalit Patidar has made it to the Guinness Book of World Records for having the hairiest face in the world. The 18-year-old has been recognised for having the 'hairiest face on a person (male)' with as many as 201.72 hair per square centimetre. It means that over 95 per cent of his face is covered in hair. According to Guinness, Patidar suffers from an incredibly rare condition called 'hypertrichosis', which is also known as 'werewolf syndrome'. It causes an abnormal amount of hair growth. Previously, Guinness had recognised members of a family in Mexico for having their faces covered entirely with hair. Members of the 'largest hairy family', Victor 'Larry' Gomez, Gabriel 'Danny' Ramos Gomez, Luisa Lilia De Lira Aceves and Jesus Manuel Fajardo Aceves received recognition and international fame for suffering from 'congenital generalized hypertrichosis'.
Hypertrichosis, as mentioned earlier, is a condition characterised by excessive and/or abnormal hair growth on any part of the body where hair is not supposed to grow. Additionally, this hair growth is considered to be beyond what is considered as 'normal' for a person based on their age, race, gender, etc. Hypertrichosis can be localised or generalised, congenital or acquired.
In Patidar's case, he is one of only around 50 such documented cases reported worldwide since the middle ages, the guinnessworldrecords.com states, making him one in a billion! The journey has definitely not been easy for the teenager, who has had to face bullying. Besides stares, he has also received nasty comments from strangers. In fact, other children at school were afraid of him; it was a very isolating experience. He was quoted as telling Guinness: "[Kids at school] 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...I am not different inside."
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Over the years, Patidar has learnt to live with his condition and embrace it fully. He even has a YouTube channel where he documents his life.
After receiving the Guinness recognition, the 18-year-old expressed, "I am speechless, I do not know what to say because I am very happy to get this recognition."
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Despite the animosity that comes his way every now and then, Patidar is grateful for having the support of his family and friends. His dream is to see the world and experience different cultures.
