Werewolf Syndrome: MP teenager shares his harrowing experience; all you need to know about the rare condition

A teenage boy from Madhya Pradesh with a rare medical condition recently shared his harrowing experience, shocking the nation. The 17-year-old Lalit was subjected to bullying and mockery as he was born with a peculiar skin condition known as "werewolf syndrome"and was treated very badly by his schoolmates.

According to JAMA Dermatology, the prevalence of "werewolf syndrome" is quite rare, and only 50 such cases of hypertrichosis have been documented so far. Lalit got to know about this rare condition at the age of six, when doctors noticed abnormal hair growth on every part of his body.

Lalit's rare condition made him a target of ridicule, and his classmates called him "monkey boy". He further revealed that some of his schoolmates believed that he could bite them, and many children hurled stones at him and yelled "monkey monkey" in his face. The bullying didn't stop there, and some people claimed that he was a ghost or a legendary creature. Lalit belongs to a middle-class family, and his father is a farmer. Currently, studying in 12th grade, Lalit often assists his father in the fields.

"I have had this hair my whole life, my parents say the doctor shaved me at birth, but I didn't really notice anything was different about me until I was around six or seven years old," Lalit said, Daily Star reported. "That's when I first took notice that the hair was growing all over my body like no one else I knew," he further added.

It took a while for Lalit and his family to accept his condition, as there is no known cure for it. After going through such hardships, Lalit has made peace with his rare condition and now aims to become a YouTuber in future to support his family.

"I slowly realised that I have hair all over my body and I am different from common humans in a good way, I am unique. Slowly everyone in my family started feeling normal about it and my friends also encouraged me a lot," Lalit added.

FAQs on the same:

1. What is Werewolf syndrome or Hypertrichosis?
   It is a rare skin condition, which is characterised by excessive hair growth all over a person’s body.
2. What are the signs and symptoms of Hypertrichosis?
   The primary characteristic of all forms of hypertrichosis is excessive hair. Hair in hypertrichosis is usually longer than expected and may consist of any hair type (lanugo, vellus, or terminal).
3. What are the main causes of the Werewolf Syndrome?
   There are no medical records to suggest that external factors can trigger hypertrichosis. Thus, it is observed that it is primarily a genetic condition.
4. Can Werewolf syndrome be cured?
   There is no cure for it.