THE HYPERTRICHOSIS or THE WEREWOLF SYNDROME

 

You thought that Chewbacca was interpreted by an actor with a costume? WRONG

The Hypertrichosis

The hypertrichosis is a hormonal disturbing which can occur in male or female and which trigger an abnormal amount of hair growth on the body. It can be congenital (genes from parents) or acquired (cancer, anorexy).

It is also called the Werewolf Syndrome. Historians say that the legend of werewolves is born because of people who suffered from this disease.

The first recorded case of hypertrichosis is Petrus Gonzalvus in 1648 (nearby). His daughter, Tognina Gonzalvus, suffered from the same syndrome.

Classification and causes

There are two types of hypertrichotrichosis :

• Generalized hypertrichosis: the disease affects the entire body
• Localized hypertrichosis: the disease affects a part of the body

The principal cause of this disease is the anarchic transformation from the small vellus hair to the larger terminal hair. Everybody has vellus hair on their body. A part of this vellus will turn into terminal hair during the adolescence (armpits, legs, arms, pubis, …) thanks to hormonal mechanisms. For people who suffer from hypertrichosis, this transformation will take place anywhere on the body.

Unfortunately, the mechanism of this switch and the mutation which triggers it are unknown today.

Treatment

There is no cure for congenital forms and the hair removal is the only way to recover a normal appearance. For acquired forms, the treatment will depend on the cause.

Epidemiology

Congenital forms of this syndrome remain very rare. Only a hundred of cases have been recorded since the Middle Ages. Congenital generalized hypertrichosis is isolated to only one family in Mexico.

Famous Cases

People with hypertrichosis often found a job in circus and the best examples are Annie Jones, the famous "Beardest Woman", Fedor Jeftichew "Jo-Jo the Dog-Faced Man" and Julia Pastrana, "the Beardest Lady".