Indian teen sets hair record with werewolf syndrome

Abdullateef Fowewe

An 18-year-old Indian, identified as Lalit Patidar, has made history by securing a Guinness World Record for the hairiest face on a person.

GWR in a statement on its website, declared that the Indian teenager, who has a “one-in-a-billion werewolf syndrome,” holds the record for the hairiest face on a male, with 201.72 hairs per square centimetre.

The statement reads in part, “Over 95 per cent of his face is covered in hair. He has an incredibly rare condition called hypertrichosis, also known as werewolf syndrome, which causes an abnormal amount of hair growth.”

After discovering he was a record-breaker, Lalit reportedly said, “I am speechless, I don’t know what to say because I’m very happy to receive this recognition.”

GWR added that Lalit is one of only around 50 documented cases worldwide since the Middle Ages, making him “one in a billion and certainly a special person.”

Lalit’s journey has not been without its difficulties, as he has faced ridicule and stares from others.

“He has overcome all the stares from strangers and the nasty comments you’d sadly imagine he would have received.

“The other children at school were even scared of him when he arrived on his first day,” the article read.

Recalling his experience, Lalit counted, “They were scared of me, but when they got to know me and started talking to me, they realised I was not so different from them. It was just my appearance that was different, but inside, I am the same.”

While most people he meets treat him well, he noted that some are less kind.

Responding to those who suggest he should remove his facial hair, he said, “There is not much to say to people about that.

“I tell them that I like how I am, and I don’t want to change my look.”