For all of his life, Lalit Patidar's medical condition has made him stand out. Now, he's standing on top after having been recognized by the Guinness World Records as having the hairiest face.
On March 6, Guinness announced Patidar, who is from India, as the record holder for the hairiest face on a male in the world. With 201.72 hairs per square centimeter covering his face, the 18-year-old has hypertrichosis, also known as werewolf syndrome, which causes excessive hair growth.
“I am speechless, I don’t know what to say because I’m very happy to get this recognition,” he told Guinness regarding news of his record.
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Hair covers more than 95% of the teenager's face, a fact that was confirmed when the hair was measured during an appearance on Guinness World Records’ television series “Lo Show dei Record.”
As part of the verification process, a trichologist measured the density of his hair by shaving small portions of his face.
Patidar’s condition makes him a one-in-a-billion rarity, according to Guinness, as only 50 documented cases of hypertrichosis have ever been recorded since the Middle Ages.
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The teenager is well aware of how rare his condition is, having navigated the curiosity and misconceptions that come with it for much of his life.
"Sometimes people treat me not very well, but it's very rare," he told Guinness World Records in a clip shared on Instagram. "Usually people treat me very good, and most of people are good to me, and it depends on the person."
"The first days at school were — it was not so good, because people, the other kids, were scared of me," he continued. "But when they started knowing me, when we started talking to me, they understood that I was not so different from them. It was just, I mean, from outside, I looked different, but I'm not different inside."
Hypertrichosis typically occurs as a result of certain medical conditions. It is not linked to an excess amount of androgens, unlike hirsutism, which is caused by hormonal imbalances and affects women, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Treatments can include laser hair removal, electrolysis and depilatory cream.
When it comes to those who suggest he remove his hair, Patidar remains unfazed.
"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.”
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
