A young man from Madhya Pradesh with a peculiar skin condition has made headlines. Seventeen-year-old Lalit Patidar, from the small Nandleta village in the state is diagnosed with the medical condition called hypertrichosis, which leads to excessive hair growth all over the body. The extremely unusual illness is also known as the "werewolf syndrome."
It was at the young age of six when the doctors diagnosed him with hypertrichosis.
Lalit's photo has been circulating on several social media platforms showing his face and hands completely covered with dense fur.
The 17-year-old claims he was bullied in school and other places due to his rare medical condition.
“When I was younger, I frequently received stone-throwing. Children were afraid that I would return and bite them like an animal," he told the New York Post.
"My parents claim that I was shaved by the doctor at birth, but I didn’t become aware of the difference until I was approximately 6 or 7 years old. The hair started to sprout all over my body at that point, unlike anyone else I knew," he added.
A 12th grader, Lalit knows there is no cure for the condition and has learnt to live with it.
"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 said, according the New York Post.
“I got to learn many things during my journey, most importantly I got to learn that I am one in a million,” the teen said. “I should never give up and live life to the fullest. I always want to move forward and be happy," he added.
None of Lalit's family members have hypertrichosis.
The "werewolf syndrome," is extremely rare, with fewer than 100 recorded cases since the middle ages.