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Rare Condition Causes Woman To Grow Hair From Her Gums

Rare Condition Causes Woman To Grow Hair From Her Gums

Doctors say the are still not sure what the root cause is

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers

Doctors have shared the incredible story of a woman who started growing hairs from her mouth.

The extremely rare condition is called gingival hirsutism and was published in the medical journal Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology.

According to the report, the 25-year-old woman had previously been diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome but returned six years after her first contact with healthcare professionals complaining of hairs sprouting from her gums.

Explaining the bizarre case, the report reads: "Extraoral facial examination revealed the presence of exuberant hair on the chin and neck regions.

"Intraoral examination showed some brown hair, similar to eyelashes, which were removed and the underlying tissue histologically analysed. One year later, the patient came back with even more widespread presence of oral hairs distributed on the gingivae of both arches.

Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology

According to the journal, oral hirsutism is incredibly uncommon, with only a handful of cases having ever been noted - and even then they were not to this extent.

It says: "The occurrence of hairs in the oral cavity is an exceedingly rare event, with unknown etiology [Editor's note - that's 'cause' to you and me]. A literature review found only five cases, most of which described a single hair localised in various sites of the oral cavity."

With it being such a unique condition, doctors are still not sure what the root cause is and have warned that there may be more 'complex' reasons behind it.

The report concluded: "The occurrence of hairs in the oral cavity is an extremely rare finding. The etiology is still unknown; however, an investigation of systemic health is always desirable because more complex medical conditions may be present and not recognised."

But this is not the first case in which an individual has suffered from excessive hair growth.

Yesterday reports began circulating of two proud parents in the US who have compared their newborn baby to a 'mini Wolverine' after he was born covered in hair.

Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology

Nancy Rivera gave birth to her son Jonathan during the early hours of 28 January at United Hospital in Saint Paul, Minnesota, but both she and her fiancé Anthony Lopez were taken aback when they realised their child not only had a thick head of jet black locks, but also hairy arms, legs and shoulders.

Jonathan - who was born still inside the amniotic sac weighing in at a healthy 6lbs 13oz - has been compared to a 'mini Wolverine' by no less than his old man.

The 28-year-old lab technician said: "We cannot believe how much hair he has.

"When he first came out it had almost formed a beard on his face and some people have joked he will be shaving before he starts walking.

"All of the nurses were joking he was going to keep warm during the winter. All of our family have found it really entertaining.

"Jonathan is like a mini Wolverine."

Featured Image Credit: Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology

Topics: Science, Interesting, Weird