rekor dunia

Hairiest child

Fans of Guinness World Records will be no stranger to the concept of hypertrichosis – the medical term for excessive hairiness. Famously, the Mexican family that includes brothers circus performers Larry and Danny Gomez comprises at least 19 members all with thick hair covering their faces and torso. So when we heard about a young girl in Thailand with an all-over covering of lengthy hair, we were at least ready and prepared to welcome her into the Guinness World Records family.

Supatra "Nat" Sasuphan contacted us through her father, and it was clear on seeing photographs of that she could well be a contender for the category of hairiest child. To assess the degree of hairiness, researchers use  the Ferriman Gallwey method. With this technique, the amount of hair is assessed on nine different parts of the body – upper lip, chin, chest, back, abdomen, arm, forearm, thigh, and lower leg. In order to make an official measurement, Guinness World Records decided to invite Nat and her family to Rome in Italy, where she could be assessed on the set of our TV show, Lo Show dei Record.

Meeting Nat was one of the many highlights of the show for on-screen adjudicator, Marco Frigatti. “She’s a remarkable little girl,” says Marco. “She’s proud of who she is and wants to be treated just like everyone else. She’s not the one with the  problem – it’s only those who treat her differently who’ve got the problem.”

And Nat agrees. “I don’t feel any different to anyone else, and I’ve got lots of friends at school.” Now a celebrity, she’s starting to enjoy her fame, and was thrilled by the chance to visit a foreign country. “It’s really fun and exciting,” she told us, “and it’s my first time on a plane. I’ve never been outside Thailand.” But her most exciting experience was the moment she was crowned Hairiest Child. “Being hairy makes me special,” she said, adding: “This the happiest day of my life!”