Hypertrichosis, or werewolf syndrome, is a genetic disorder that manifests itself in excessive body hair. In a person affected by this defect, hair is abundant even on the face. This is where the name "werewolf syndrome" came from, which is of course unfair. How to deal with hypetrichosis? Are there any chances to cure it?
Hypertrichosis, or werewolf syndrome(another name for the disease is also Ambras syndrome) is an extremely rare birth defect occurring in both women and men. Formerly it was believed that "werewolves" are some human-animal hybrids, a combination of a human and a wolf, a monkey, and even a bear. Today we know that it is a disorder caused by a mutation of the SOX3 gene located on one of the two X sex chromosomes.
Hypertrichosis was first described in the 17th century. Today it is believed that around 50-100 people in the world are affected by this rare genetic defect. One of them is, for example, the family of Jesus Aceves from the city of Lorento in Mexico, numbering about 30 people. Due to their different appearance, they became famous all over the world, but this is not the popularity that anyone could dream of. People affected by this genetic defect face discrimination and social harassment every day. They are often afraid to show themselves among people and rarely leave the house, rather after dark. They are called werewolves, people-wolves.
How does hypertrichosis work?
Werewolf syndrome manifests itself in profuse hair on the body, torso, arms, and - which is especially difficult for those affected - even on the face. However, not always. The defect occurs in two forms - generalized and local. In the latter case, hair affects only certain areas of the body, e.g. not the entire face, but "only" the forehead and chin, or one place elsewhere on the body from which a clump of hair grows.
The hair growth cycle has three phases:
1. anagenic phase- hair growth
2. catagenic phase- death of hair follicles
3. telogenic phase- hair loss
In the course of hypertrichosis, a gene mutation probably causes the anagenic phase to dominate the others.
The strongest form of hypertrichosis isthe so-called terminal hypertrichosis . Except for lush hairthe whole body, also manifested:
- gum hypertrophy and protruding mouth,
- abnormal dentition, e.g. double row of teeth,
- wide, flat nose,
- big head.
It was precisely hypertirchosis that 17 children and infants fell ill with in August 2022. All because of … a drug change by one of the pharmaceutical companies by mistake.
The children's parents thought they were giving them omeprazole - a medicine for stomach problems, but in fact the bottle contained minoxidil, a hair growth preparation.
After giving the drug to children, hair began to grow on the face, back and arms. Concerned parents went to the doctors, the Spanish Ministry of He alth took care of the case and discovered the mistake.
The wrong drugs went to pharmacies in Cantabria, Andalusia and Valencia. They have already been withdrawn from pharmacies, and the laboratory that produces them has been closed.
In the described case, the hypertrichosis caused by administering the wrong drug is only temporary - after stopping its administration, excessive hair in children will disappear.
The most famous case of hypertrichosis (the so-called terminal) was Julia Pastrana, who lived in Mexico in the 19th century. She grew up in an orphanage, probably abandoned by her mother, and when she grew up, he bought her, and soon married, a man named Theodor Lent. He made money on it by showing it as an attraction in North America and later in many European countries. Due to her lush hair and gum growth, she was called a monkey woman. Julia became pregnant and gave birth to a son, also very hairy. He died shortly after giving birth, and a few days later Julia also died as a result of postpartum complications. She was 26 years old. Lent had her and the baby's body stuffed and continued showing them. Over the years, Julia Pastrana and her child were treated as exhibits and viewed in the display cases of many museums. Recently, they were seen at the Oslo National Hospital. Only in 2012, thanks to the governor of the state of Sinaloa Mario Lopez Valdez and New York artist Laura Anderson Barbata, and the Norwegian authorities, their bodies were buried in Mexico, in a cemetery near Julia Pastrana's birthplace.
Pictured is Petrus Gonzales, the first known case of the werewolf syndrome
Fig. Wikimedia Commons
Acquired hypertrichosis
Apart from the inborn genetic defect, which is the above-described hypertrichosis, there is also acquired hypertrichosis. Here we are already talking about it as a symptom accompanying another disease - e.g. cancer, porphyria, metabolic disorders, abnormalities in the work of the endocrine glands. Excessive hair can also bea reaction to drugs such as hydantoin, minoxidil and penicillamine, as well as to topical steroids and androgens. Acquired hypertrichosis can be treated.
A patient who notices that a place on his body from which the hair begins to grow has appeared, usually directs his first steps to a dermatologist. He, however, will probably also order him an endocrinology consultation, because hormone tests will be needed. Sometimes it is also necessary to carry out diagnostics in terms of oncology. After finding the cause of the hypertrichosis, treatment of the underlying disease can be started. If the problem is due to an endocrine disruption, your doctor may recommend birth control pills, hormone replacement medications, and, in the case of menopause, hormone replacement therapy. When cancer is the cause of hypertrichosis, it must be de alt with. Once the underlying disease is cured, the problem of excessive hair growth will disappear.
Treatment of werewolf syndrome
Unfortunately, no cure for this condition has been found so far. Excessive hair can only be shaved systematically or with other cosmetic procedures, such as epilation, but it is a short-term action. Today, fortunately, modern aesthetic medicine comes to help people suffering from werewolf syndrome. Laser hair removal treatments give good results.