Often time we find it difficult to embrace some individuals that have some rear conditions in our midst. This is the case with the Aceves family as they have hypertrichosis making them almost certainly the hairiest family in human history. All his life, Jesus Aceves has been compared to a wolf because he has thick hair all over his face.
He grew up in the small town of Loreto in north-west Mexico where, as a result of his appearance, his family was shunned by the local community. One summer he sold tickets for a Ferris wheel, another year he ran a stall where people popped balloons to win prizes. It was there that a circus owner spotted him. The circus owner asked if any other family members had the same condition - and by this time Aceves' two younger cousins, Larry and Danny, had also been born with hypertrichosis.
The three boys were signed up by the circus and spent several years travelling around Mexico where they used to greet the audience and have their picture taken.
Accompanied by Aceves's mother, they always had somewhere comfortable to stay and plenty of food to eat but there was one thing that he didn't like.He grew up in the small town of Loreto in north-west Mexico where, as a result of his appearance, his family was shunned by the local community. One summer he sold tickets for a Ferris wheel, another year he ran a stall where people popped balloons to win prizes. It was there that a circus owner spotted him. The circus owner asked if any other family members had the same condition - and by this time Aceves' two younger cousins, Larry and Danny, had also been born with hypertrichosis.
The three boys were signed up by the circus and spent several years travelling around Mexico where they used to greet the audience and have their picture taken.
"We were always locked up. They were presenting us as attractions so we couldn't be seen on the street. I didn't like that, being locked up so people wouldn't see us."
s a young child, Aceves had wanted to hide away. He didn't like going outside and at school he was bullied by other children, who pulled his facial hair and called him names. But his self-esteem grew stronger as he grow older. Now, even at the age of 41, he has conflicting emotions of shame and pride in being who he is.
But there was one tough time, touring the US with an American circus, when he became seriously depressed. Lonely, isolated, and unable to speak much English, he almost drank himself to death.
He learned to walk the high wire as part of an act in Coney Island's Sideshow and how to walk up a ladder of swords while travelling with the Circus of Horrors, which brought him to the UK in 2012.
Aceves and most of his family live in two houses, next door to each other, that were given to them by the mayor when Aceves and his cousins were young, because no-one would rent them a home. One house was for Aceves's mother and the other for Larry and Danny's mother. Today, each holds about 10 family members.
Aceves has three daughters, all of whom have been born with hypertrichosis. His eldest, Karla, is now in her early 20s. Her mother left when she was a baby and because her father was always away she was raised by her grandmother.
Scientists have studied Aceves and his family. They were particularly interested in this excess of hair because they wanted to find a cure for alopecia - for baldness. They know it's a gene that has laid dormant for a very long time which suddenly resurfaces, but they don't know how to turn it on or off.
Aceves trims the hair on his face and some of the women in his family shave their faces.
The women tend to have beards and hair on their foreheads so it's a little sparser. For the men it's impossible to shave completely because they have hair on their nose and eyelids. They can't afford afford electrolysis or anything hi-tech," says Aridjis.
While these other procedures, such as laser hair removal, would help reduce the total amount of hair, they would not permanently remove it.
Scientists have studied Aceves and his family. They were particularly interested in this excess of hair because they wanted to find a cure for alopecia - for baldness. They know it's a gene that has laid dormant for a very long time which suddenly resurfaces, but they don't know how to turn it on or off.
Aceves trims the hair on his face and some of the women in his family shave their faces.
The women tend to have beards and hair on their foreheads so it's a little sparser. For the men it's impossible to shave completely because they have hair on their nose and eyelids. They can't afford afford electrolysis or anything hi-tech," says Aridjis.
While these other procedures, such as laser hair removal, would help reduce the total amount of hair, they would not permanently remove it.
Source: BBC News
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