Have you seen Bill Condon’s Beauty and the Beast? The movie received raving reviews and is currently topping the box office, which is probably a happily ever after for Hollywood. Needless to say the movie is based on the fairy tale of the same name, but did you know that the fairy tale was based on real life events?
If only he knew how many times his story would be rebooted. Source: Real Distan.
Meet Petrus Gonsalvus. His ties to Beast from the fable are clear to see. Wolf-like nobleman? Check. Ostracized by townsmen? Check. Got married to a beautiful maiden? Check. Had a happily ever after? Well, four of his children were given as gifts to other rulers, so I’m going to make a wild guess and say no.
If you’re wondering if Petrus’ condition was unique, it’s not. The condition which afflicted Petrus is called hypertrichosis, which has been dubbed the ‘werewolf syndrome’ for obvious reasons. Here’s an interview with an actor who has hypertrichosis.
(The Hairy Syndrome That Affects Only 50 People Worldwide by Smithsonian Channel via Youtube.)
According to Medscape.com, the condition affects anywhere from one in a billion to one in ten billion people. No one’s really sure what causes hypertrichosis, but considering that family members tend to share the condition, there seems to be a genetic component to hypertrichosis.
So where does the hair come from? Well normally, before we’re born we grow fine silky hair that we shed later in our development. People who are born with hypertrichosis never shed this hair, and on the contrary the hair grows throughout life. However, note that you could also acquire a milder form of hypertrichosis by taking certain drugs, which is another reason to not do drugs and stay in school.
The condition itself isn’t harmful, just mildly annoying. The more prevalent issue is typically the reactions of society. Here’s an excerpt from an interview conducted with Jesus Fajardo Aceves, a circus performer with hypertrichosis:
“The worst part are the people who are afraid of me. They see me as something evil, but then they see anyone different as evil. It is difficult to get a regular job. Going out in public is difficult, I don’t mind being stared, but I don’t like when people make rude comments about me, especially when I am with my children or younger cousins. It hurts their feelings.”
Jesus “Chuy” Aceves in Copenhagen, Denmark. Source: Chris Smith.
It’s good to see that people haven’t changed since Petrus Gonsalvus’ days. There’s not much in the way of treatment for hypertrichosis other than standard methods of hair removal: shaving and waxing. Laser hair removal seems to be a promising solution, but maybe reduction of social stigma of hypertrichosis is what we really need for a happily ever after.
-Kidong (Eric) Jeong.
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