This article was originally published on our site: beautyvsfashion.com
All people are born different and you won’t find two identical pairs of eyes or matching fingerprints in the whole world. Nature creates us to be unique both inside and out! Still, most of us find it hard to accept our own uniqueness, so we use piercings, tattoos, and crazy hair colour to stand out from the crowd. But some people stand out all on their own!
Some may call it a blessing, while others would see it as a curse, but for all these people born with special genetic conditions, it’s a rare gift they cherish. From Vitiligo and Heterochromia to having extra fingers and two layers of lashes, we present you with the most insane and beautiful genetic conditions in the world.
40. A Unique Birthmark
Birthmarks are very common and you can see all kinds of shapes and sizes in different places of the human body. But how about birthmarks on the hair? This beautiful mother has a very specific birthmark – a gorgeous white streak of hair on her forehead.
Well, her baby daughter was born with the same birthmark on her hair! Imagine the mother’s surprise as she held her baby daughter for the first time and noticed this amazing streak of hair. This thing turned out to be hereditary!
It turns out, that not only the mother-daughter duo has this amazing hair, but their granny as well! It seems as though these beautiful ladies have some superpowers and who knows – maybe they do?
39. The Amazing Cat Eye Syndrome
At first glance, this boy looks quite normal, but then you look into his eyes and the whole world around you stops. He looks amazing, doesn’t he?
This genetic condition is called the ‘Cat Eye Syndrome’ and the name is quite fitting as this boy’s eyes resemble those of a cat. Most people are born with round pupils, but in rare cases, they are born with eyes that look very different.
Usually, people with the Cat Eye Syndrome have pupils that resemble the actual cat ones only a little, but this Nepalese boy looks like a real cat in the human form!
38. A Rare Case of Vitiligo
This boy from Uganda looks like he could turn the whole fashion world upside down! He has amazing bright blue eyes thanks to a rare genetic condition called Ocular Albinism. Albinos lose pigmentation in their entire body, but this boy only had his eyes affected.
His Vitiligo, on the other hand, affects different parts of his body, creating white colourless patches that gather in beautiful patterns. Somehow this condition makes him look even more beautiful than he already was!
Although these genetic conditions are visually stunning, they don’t make him feel any different. The boy’s eyes are also in good condition and he has normal eyesight.
37. A Super Tall Girlfriend
How does it feel to be the tallest girl in school? And how about in the whole world? We can only imagine that Elisany da Cruz Silva, whose height is 6’9”, feels quite different from the majority of women.
She was born with a genetic condition called gigantism, which made her grow more than usual. Gigantism is characterized by a peculiar gene mutation that causes extreme growth – that’s how she ended up so tall!
We have to admit that Elisany looks quite stunning despite her unusual height. Her husband also doesn’t seem to mind the extra height!
36. A Boy That Can See in the Dark
Okay, we’ve seen a boy whose eyes look like that of a cat with beautiful vertical pupils, but what about having eyes that can actually see in the dark? This boy from China was born with a rare genetic condition that made his eyes more than human!
The boy’s name is Nong Youhui and he’s a perfectly healthy human being, but with one superpower many kids dream about – he can see in the dark! His unusual eyes not only look different, but they also glow in the dark, allowing him to see as good as during the day.
This unique condition is called ‘leukoderma’ and it might seem cool at first, but there’s one major drawback – his eyes are very light-sensitive, which means he needs to be careful during bright sunny days.
35. An Unusual Tongue
Can you imagine having small tentacles in your mouth – right on your tongue? It turns out this happens to quite a lot of people, but we don’t see it because this genetic condition is hidden from everyone’s eyes.
This condition is called “Plica Frimbriata” and it’s characterized by unusual tentacle growths on the lower side of the tongue. They aren’t dangerous in any way, apart from getting stuck in the teeth, which can be a little bit uncomfortable.
According to people with this condition, these tongue tentacles are quite sensitive, making the drinking and eating experience more interesting.
34. A Genetic Mix-Up
It’s not a secret we get genetic material from both parents, so it’s not really surprising that we have traits from both parents. In this case, it’s more than just facial features and some unique birthmarks – this person inherited very unique thumbs!
There is some unusual genetic condition involved here, so it’s not just a coincidence. The shorter thumb looks the way it does due to a condition called Brachydactyly type D. It prevents fingers from growing too much, making them look shorter than they usually are.
You might have heard about this genetic condition before due to Megan Fox who presumably has it. Well, in this case, the person inherited something really special from both parents.
33. The Black-and-White Woman
This is not the only case of vitiligo we have on this list, but this woman does look especially beautiful with one half of her face being white, while the other one is dark.
This type of genetic condition is called Unilateral Vitiligo and in the case of Victoria Krus, it affected only half of her body, giving her brow and eyelashes a spectacular white colour. Being a model, Victoria has always felt shy about her condition, but as the world grew more accepting of various special looks, she now feels more secure about herself.
The model admitted that she still sometimes feels insecure about having vitiligo, but it’s much better now compared to the way she felt in her teens when being different makes you the centre of everyone’s attention.
32. Looking Like a Movie Character
Javier Botet was born with movie star looks, but not everyone saw it that way at first. His unique genetic condition is called the Marfan Syndrome – it gave him a very unusual thin appearance and bendy limbs.
It turns out not only Javier Botet thought becoming an actor was a great way to showcase his peculiar looks. It may be hard to recognize him without all the prosthetics and special effects, but he starred in the IT movie, playing a spine-chilling charachter.
He recently landed the leading role in the Slenderman movie, which should sky-rocket his career to new heights. He fits perfectly for that role!
31. The “Uncomfortable Hair Syndrome”
The person responsible for naming genetic conditions was probably having a day off when they were coming up with a name for the “Uncomfortable Hair Syndrome”. And yet, it’s quite accurate!
Meet Shilah Madison, a cute girl with a sunny personality and uncontrollable hair that makes her look like a little version of Einstein or a cute lion cub.
It’s not all roses and daisies for Shilah as this unique syndrome does not only give her the unusual look but can also cause quite a lot of pain because the scalp becomes extra sensitive.
30. Looking Like an Actual Elf
It turns out there’s a special genetic condition that makes you look like a real-life elf. We kid you not! It’s called the Waardenburg Syndrome and it affects hair, skin, and even eyes, making them a gorgeous electric blue colour.
The skin becomes pale, the hair can often become white, while the eyes end up being placed quite far apart, creating a very unusual, yet beautiful look. Stef Sanjati, a famous YouTuber, has the Waardenburg Syndrome and uses the platform to bring attention to it and the issues that may arise when you have it.
While people with this syndrome look quite stunning, it can actually cause deafness!
29. A Curious Case of Syndactyly
If you look closer at this photo, you’ll quickly notice that the two feet have something interesting going on with their fingers. This is called syndactyly – a genetic condition when two toes or fingers get somehow fused together.
It’s a pretty rare condition and scientists can’t explain why exactly it happens. It is usually passed from mother to daughter and from father to son, so it’s not at all surprising to see the same genetic condition in the members of one family. But these two feet belong to unrelated people!
The user who shared this photo on Reddit confirmed that the women on the photo aren’t related – at least not directly. These feet belong to the user’s wife and sister!
28. A Genetic Masterpiece
Do you know how many people have red hair? Only around 2% out of all people on the planet! And as rare as it may sound, people with heterochromia are even rarer to see.
Heterochromia is a genetic condition that results in differently coloured eyes. Usually, it’s a beautiful shade of blue and brown, with some variations. What are the chances that someone would be born with both red hair and heterochromia?
This gorgeous girl must have won a genetic lottery because she has both! And we must admit she looks amazing with that ginger hair and different eyes.
27. A Mind-Twisting Gaze
We never pay that much attention to human eyes and pupils, but only until something peculiar happens to them. Can you imagine looking into the eyes of someone with pupils that have ‘drifted away’ a bit?
This unusual genetic condition is called Coloboma and it’s pretty rare – only one in 10,000 new-borns have it. This might be the most weird-looking out of all genetic conditions on the list!
When looking at someone’s eyes we simply don’t expect to see their pupils ‘escaping’ to another corner of the eye! Still, people with Coloboma state that their eyes function the same as everyone else’s, sometimes even better!
26. Something’s Missing
Having all the nails on your fingers and toes seems like such a mundane and ordinary thing, but that’s not the case for this woman. She was born with one nail missing and decided to turn a disturbing situation into a comic one.
To make her nail-less index finger look a little bit more fun, she decided to decorate it with googly eyes. Did it work? We believe it worked like magic!
We don’t know if she goes around like this all the time, but that’s a pretty creative way to cope with a genetic condition.
25. A Woman with Some Extra Charm
We are all used to women looking as smooth as possible with close to no body hair apart from the head. That’s a relatively new thing because before the invention of bikinis no one really paid as much attention to female hairiness. But then the marketing campaign kicked in, urging women to go bare literally everywhere.
Well, Harnaam Kaur is definitely not the kind of woman that can be shamed into shaving – she accepts herself wholly, even with a beard! Kaur has PCOS, which is quite common among women, but not all of them decide to go with the flow of their condition.
Kaur, on the other hand, is proud of the way she looks and uses her unusual appearance to inspire others to accept themselves. She’s appeared on magazine covers numerous times, which means that if you love and accept yourself – others will follow!
24. A Dark Goddess
There are thousands of dark-skinned women out there in the world, but Khoudia Diop stands out from the rest of them. This Senegalese model, who is often called the ‘Melanin Goddess’, has an incredibly beautiful dark shade of skin.
While it’s not uncommon to see women with such dark skin in Senegal, Khoudia Diop has always been different and maybe that’s why she was bullied at school for having such dark skin colour.
Well, now she’s overcome all that body-shaming and became a successful model that turns heads every time she hits the podium. She’s a real beauty!
23. A Multi-Coloured Eye
You’ve probably seen a few cases of Heterochromia by now, but mostly it affects two eyes at the same time, resulting in one eye being brown in colour and the other being blue. Of course, there are variations, but generally, that’s the case.
But have you seen Heterochromia inside one eye, dividing the iris into two different colours? This effect is as beautiful as it is rare.
Can you imagine looking someone into the eye and seeing this split colouring? It’s the most mesmerizing gaze ever!
22. Gorgeous Albinism
Out of all genetic conditions Albinism is the one we’re most familiar with. But this doesn’t make it any less beautiful! Albinism is quite widespread and you can meet Albinos from all nationalities and parts of the world.
Albinism doesn’t care about religion, race, and skin colour! All Albinos lack colouring, but you’d be amazed to see that there are different variations of Albinism in the world – some albinos have red eyes, while others sport beautiful blue ones.
Most people embrace their exquisite white looks and don’t even try to hide them. Nevertheless, Albinism isn’t just something that affects your appearance – it can impair people’s hearing and create various health issues.
21. Elf Ears
We’ve all heard about elf ears or at least have seen some in The Lord of the Rings and a bunch of other fantasy movies. But what about real-life elf ears? Yes, people can actually be born with ears like this!
Elven ears are caused by something called “Stahl’s ear” – a peculiar genetic condition that is not very common but still affects quite a lot of people.
Those born with this unusual genetic condition have naturally pointy ears that make them look like characters from a fantasy movie or novel. This is by far one of nature’s most beautiful ‘deviations’.
20. A Woman with the Longest Legs in the World
Women with long legs are considered attractive all over the world. But what if your legs alone were 40 inches long?
Ia Ostergren, a beautiful model from Sweden, rocks the longest limbs we’ve ever seen. With her thin stature and gorgeous legs, she was a perfect candidate to become a professional model.
Of course, things weren’t always easy for Ia Ostergren as she was bullied quite a lot while growing up. We are happy she managed to overcome all those difficulties, embracing her beauty and uniqueness.
19. The Ultimate Peace Sign
Your eyes aren’t deceiving you and it’s not some kind of trick – this girl can actually spread her fingers this wide! This genetic condition is called “Joint Hypermobility” and it’s pretty harmless.
In fact, it can be quite useful if this girl decides to learn how to play the piano – she will have that extra flexibility that most people achieve after many years of practice!
It’s probably one of the most convenient genetic conditions on the list and it can actually help the person who is born with it become better at something.
18. Two Uvulas are Better Than One
If you open your mouth wide enough and glance into the mirror, you might notice you have a little teardrop-shaped formation at the back of your throat. That piece of skin is called a uvula and it plays a pretty important role as it helps us form words and makes them sound the way they do.
But what if a person is born with two uvulas? Well, that actually happens more than you think and about 2% of all humans have this genetic condition. So, is there any difference?
The guy in the photo admitted that he didn’t feel like it was something special or that it influenced his daily life. People with two uvulas can have nasal-sounding voices, but that’s about it.
17. A Gorgeous Case of Vitiligo
You might have noticed that there are lots of people with Vitiligo on this list – that’s because more and more people are becoming comfortable accepting this condition and showing themselves to the public.
Most of them prefer to stay hidden and cover it as much as possible! That’s why people like Winnie Harlow are so important. She has suffered from her unique appearance as a kid, but as she grew up she learned that her genetic condition made her special, not weird.
Winnie Harlow became a model and her unusual appearance is actually boosting her career now!
16. The Piercing Gaze
Looking into this baby’s eyes is like looking into space – it’s so mesmerizing! This piercing gaze is caused by a genetic condition named Coloboma.
People who are born with Coloboma have a very unusual eye structure with a hole that makes the pupil look large, often in the form of a key-hole.
Otherwise than looking unusual, this condition doesn’t affect the eyes much. In rare cases, Coloboma can cause some extra light sensitivity.
15. More Hair Whorls, More Fun
Have you ever paid attention to people’s hair whorls? They are those circular patches of hair that kind of dictate in which direction our hair grows.
Well, even if you haven’t, now is the time to take a closer look at one very special case of two hair whorls growing at the same time. This photo looks like it’s Photoshopped, but it’s not!
This boy has two hair whorls growing in different directions, creating a cute and funny hairstyle that somewhat resembles a mohawk. Going to a barbershop will definitely be a fun adventure for both the boy and the hairstylist if they decide to change the haircut a bit!
14. Double Lashes
Everyone likes beautiful thick eyelashes, but most women have to use some kind of cosmetics to make their lashes look extra-long and fluffy. But did you know there exists a genetic condition that makes your eyelashes naturally thick?
And we aren’t talking about one row of thick lashes, we’re talking about double lashes! Some women are lucky enough to be born with not one, but two rows of eyelashes. This beautiful effect is caused by a genetic condition called distichiasis.
The extra layer of lashes isn’t always super long and thick, but it still makes the eyes look more beautiful. This special genetic condition could make so many women happy! But most of us still have to use mascara to achieve that effect.
13. How Long is Too Long?
When looking at a person’s hand we expect to see the usual set of fingers with the thumb being the shortest one. But that is not the case for all people!
Some men and women are born with peculiar hands that have thumbs growing as long as index fingers. The guy in the photo rocks the longest thumb in the world with three phalanges.
This genetic condition has a pretty fitting name – a “Triphalangeal Thumb”. Can you imagine the things he could do with musical instruments? He should definitely learn how to play the guitar and piano.
12. Six Plus Four
It’s not uncommon for people to be born with an extra set of fingers or toes. This genetic condition is called Polydactylism and you’d be surprised how many people are hiding some extra digits in their shoes.
You can see that the man on the left has grown an extra toe on his left foot, but the woman on the right has a different situation – she has only four toes! As rare as it may seem, but these two are actually co-workers.
They may have unusual sets of toes if you look at them apart, but together they match perfectly!
11. The Incredibly Rare Mirror-Hand Syndrome
Have you ever seen a genetic condition like this? We certainly haven’t! And no wonder, because it’s one of the rarest genetic conditions in the world with only 100 cases documented throughout history.
Called ‘Ulnar Dimelia’, this condition is characterized by symmetric polydactyly and duplication of various parts of the hand (hence the more common name ‘the mirror hand’)
This is definitely one of the most unusual genetic conditions on the list! It looks like something you would see in a movie rather than in the real life. But having so many extra fingers must have some advantages, right? Apart from looking very cool, that is.
10. A Truly Beautiful Scar
Have you ever seen a scar right on the eye’s pupil? Well, if you have you’d probably remember it because it’s a very spectacular sight, not something you’d forget soon.
One Reddit user shared this peculiar genetic condition that made his iris look like it was pierced by something. This scar may look quite unusual, but it doesn’t affect his eyesight at all.
The user confessed that he even went to see the doctor and checked if his eyes were alright – and they were absolutely healthy!
9. No Such Thing as Too Many Freckles
Freckles create a very beautiful sun-kissed look, but most people still choose to hide them. Women often use concealers to even out their skin tone, but guys are usually more open about their looks.
Is there such a thing as too many freckles? Hamad Jaman, a professional model, might actually agree with this statement. Still, he got into modelling thanks to his unusual freckled appearance.
He looks very unique, don’t you think? He was born like this and he accepted himself with all the freckles and other imperfections. This is the best way to live your life!
8. Webbed Fingers
Webbed fingers are incredibly common – even on this list, we’ve presented a few cases already. While Syndactyly is a pretty widespread genetic condition it always looks a little different depending on the people’s genes.
Here you can see a spectacular example of Syndactyly when the middle and ring finger got fused together. One in around 2,000 babies is born with a similar condition, but you never know how exactly it will affect their toes and fingers.
In this case, it looks pretty cool! There are certain limitations, of course – he wouldn’t be able to do the classic Spock greeting, but other than that this guy’s totally fine.
7. An Outstanding Beauty
Meet Ilka Brühl, a professional model with the most outstanding looks. She owes her special appearance to her genes and while it may seem beautiful, there were quite a lot of complications when she was born.
Ilka had a nose that wasn’t completely formed, tear ducts of different sizes, and a facial cleft. She had to undergo a number of surgeries to function properly, but that didn’t stop her from living a full life.
Ilka’s unique appearance made her a successful model and she truly believes that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It’s not something you look for outside – it’s always inside!
6. Six is Better than Five
Flipping the middle finger may be considered rude by some people, but sometimes it’s the only way to convey your emotions without using actual rude words.
Imagine everyone’s surprise when this feisty grandpa shows not one, but two middle fingers! While most people who are born with extra fingers have extra pinkies, this man rocks two middle fingers as if this is exactly how it should be.
Well, we can’t argue with nature on this one! It does look pretty cool and intimidating.
5. The Rarest Condition in the World
You’ve probably seen pictures of people with Hypertrichosis on the Internet before, but you’ll be quite surprised to find out that there are not that many cases of this unusual genetic disorder.
It has been thoroughly documented starting from the Middle Ages, but all in all, there are no more than 50 cases of Hypertrichosis that we know of.
Surprisingly, scientists are still not sure as to what’s causing this spectacular condition. While it rarely occurs nowadays, back in 1500 there was a whole family of seven people who had it!
4. A Mind-Bending Reverse-Grab
We’ve already mentioned hyper-mobility on this list, but this genetic condition doesn’t fail to stun us every time we see it. Also called “Double-Joints”, this peculiar condition affects the person’s muscles, frame, and of course, joints.
The man in the photo, for example, can bend his hand the other way so much that he can actually do a reverse grab of the object! It looks absolutely mind-bending.
Having abilities like this can actually freak people out. Imagine passing someone a bottle of water and then seeing them grab it like this!
3. A Hand Like No Other
Being born with a cleft hand may not seem like fun, but this woman is keeping a positive attitude. After all, three fingers are better than no fingers at all!
This genetic condition also bears the name of Ectrodactyly – it affects the development of the hand, causing various abnormalities. Surprisingly, around 10% of babies are born with this condition, but it doesn’t always affect them in this way.
The woman confessed that although she has always felt a bit different due to her unusual hand, it never made her feel that she was missing something. Three fingers are more than enough!
2. Take a Closer Look at Her Right Thumb
It’s hard to believe that something as simple and normal as a human thumb can come with surprises. This woman’s right thumb, for example, doesn’t have a joint!
It’s a pretty common genetic condition, affecting thousands of babies all over the world. The “Congenital Trigger Finger” results in a joint-less finger that can’t be bent.
While this is slightly uncomfortable, the woman in the photo confessed that it was not as bad as it seemed. She got used to it quickly and simply stopped noticing that there was something wrong with the finger!
1. A Cute Navel
There aren’t too many navel shapes out there, in fact, mostly they are of two kinds – the inward ones and the outward ones.
This guy, on the other hand, is hiding something very unexpected under his shirt. His navel is shaped like a swirl! Or a cinnamon roll if you’re more into edible comparisons.
This isn’t a genetic condition, of course, as navels don’t form before birth – they are created later once the baby is out. But the way this man’s navel healed is absolutely unique! This might be a one-of-a-kind navel that no one else in the world has.
