Kriti Mehrotra
With TLC’s ‘Most Extreme Humans’ living up to its title by underscoring tales of individuals from across the globe with the rarest conditions, we get an insight into their extraordinary lives. Among them is Lalit Patidar – subject of episode 6, titled ‘Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow?’ – who has Congenital Hypertrichosis, which has made him the Man with the Hairiest Face in the World. We specify congenital because the so-called “werewolf syndrome” was present in him at birth, with it likely stemming from mutations in the womb that reactivated dormant hair-growth genes.
Lalit Patidar Was Sadly Bullied at School
Lalit Patidar was born around 2006 in the remote village of Nandleta in Madhya Pradesh, India, to Parvatibai Patidar and Bankatlal Patidar as the youngest of their six children and only son. They were all admittedly “confused” and “worried” about his well-being when he came into this world because they didn’t understand why he had so much hair all over his body, especially his face. The fact a nurse got scared after looking at him didn’t help the situation either, that is, until a doctor claimed he probably had a hormonal issue that could work itself out once he grew older.
According to the show, the family was told Lalit’s excessive hair could potentially fall out once he matured into an adult around age 20, but they initially still tried a lot of medications. Whether it was traditional, holistic, homeopathic, or ayurvedic, they tried various avenues to help hinder his hair growth, all the while being careful about treating him like he was just another kid. Therefore, he never really felt different throughout his formative years, which made him a confident and mischievous child – his hair situation never improved, but he didn’t care.
However, things changed when Lalit enrolled in the local school at age 6. He suddenly found himself in a social situation with other kids who were “scared” of him because he looked different. As per the show, they initially just didn’t talk to him, preferred to maintain their distance, or simply ran away when he came near, but it sadly transformed into serious bullying over time. He claims he was often called “monkey” and even had rocks thrown at him from time to time, which unsurprisingly affected his mental health a lot. Yet, he never spoke about it until he left school, resulting in his personality also having changed from rather extroverted to quiet, observant, and introverted.
Different People Look at Lalit Patidar Differently
While Lalit was bullied by several of his peers for most of his childhood and teenage years, he is revered by countless locals in his village, as they believe he has at least a touch of holiness to him. That’s because, in their eyes, his overall appearance, owing to his condition, bears a likeness to the Hindu deity Bajrangabali, or Lord Hanuman, whose roots are actually those of a monkey/ape. In fact, many reportedly even wish to treat him like a God and pray to him because that’s how much faith they have in the idea of his physical difference being a direct cause of his holiness.
On the flip side, there are those whose demeanor towards Lalit is the same as towards anyone else, with the sole difference being that they acknowledge and understand his uniqueness. Among them is his extended family, kind neighbors, and his lifelong best friend, Nageshwar – they met in fourth grade before gradually becoming the best of friends by sixth grade. Then, there are strangers who are simply intrigued by him – if they ever see him on the street, they either ask him questions, just stare in wonder, or request a selfie, all of which he has admittedly gotten used to by now.
There is another category for those who will celebrate and embrace Lalit’s condition, no matter what, but it comprises a single organization – The Guinness World Records. After all, when they came to know of him in 2025, they sponsored his trip to Milan, Italy, to undergo an evaluation, which resulted in him becoming the title holder of the Man with the Hairiest Face in the world. They even specified he has an extremely rare condition called hypertrichosis, but it wasn’t until he was turning 20 years old in early 2026 that he underwent the process of receiving an official diagnosis.
Lalit Patidar is Happily Juggling Careers as an Activist, Creator, and Farmer
When Lalit heard his official diagnosis, with the clarification that what he was told about his excessive hair potentially falling out when he matured would not happen, he was genuinely happy. He was admittedly relieved to hear that congenital hypertrichosis is a permanent condition with no additional complications and no long-term treatment because it has become a big part of his identity. As per the Guinness World Records, he has 201.72 hairs per square centimeter of skin, meaning over 95% of his face is covered in hair, giving him a werewolf-like appearance.
We should also mention that hypertrichosis (or “werewolf syndrome”) is one of the rarest disorders in the world, with only 50 cases having ever been documented in the world since the Middle Ages. In other words, the chance of someone being born with it, or even acquiring it later in life, is less than one in a billion. Since becoming aware of all this, Lalit’s confidence has undoubtedly skyrocketed because he is truly proud of his uniqueness – he doesn’t want to ever be like anybody else. He told Guinness World Records that whenever someone asks him if he has ever considered removing his facial hair beyond normal upkeep to ensure he can breathe, eat, hear, and see properly, he has maintained he is content. “There is not much to say to people about that,” he said. “I tell them that I like how I am and I don’t want to change my look.”
Lalit also admitted to them that while his schoolmates were initially “scared” of him, “when they started knowing me and talking to me, they understood I was not so different from them. It was just on the outside that I looked different, but I’m not different inside.” Therefore, today, at age 20, he has evolved into an activist against bullying, with dreams of traveling the world, exploring different cultures, and sharing his story to let people know that being different is not a bad thing. For this, he has even established a presence on Instagram and YouTube, where he often documents his average everyday experiences, shares vlogs, or uploads comedy sketches. However, whenever he is not doing that, the devoutly religious young man is happy to lend a helping hand to his family at their 7-acre onion and garlic farm just outside the village of Nandleta.
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