This article was originally published on Kueez
We all like to think that we're born with unique traits, and while that's true in a sense - even identical twins aren't 100% genetic matches - there are some people who got blessed with some seriously incredible genes. These people, whether they like it or not, stand out wherever they happen to be, and we hope that they see their own genetic traits as a source of pride and beauty. Check out these people and see just how wild people's genetic traits can really get!
This Boy From China Can See In The Dark With His “Cat-Eyes”
A boy called Nong Youhui, who was born in Southern China, has a rare condition that people have fondly called “cat-eye.” This condition allows him to see in the dark as perfectly as he does during the day.
Apparently, the boy’s eyes also glow at night due to the condition he has, which is technically called “Leukoderma”. The downside of it though is that his eyes are extremely sensitive to the light as a result of this.
This Mirror-Hand Syndrome Makes It Look Like Two Hands Are Holding Each Other
There are several things worth unpacking in this condition, but perhaps the most interesting one is that less than 100 cases have been reported in medical literature worldwide.
The physical condition is called “Ulnar Dimelia”, and it basically means that people who have eight fingers, and make it look like the person with the condition is holding hands with themselves, or even high-fiving themselves.
A Model With The Bluest Eyes
This beautiful model named Jalicia Nightengale was born with what one would describe as the most incredible icy-blue eyes anyone has ever seen.
The combination of her blue eyes and her dark skin creates one of the most stunning looks in the world. Jalicia has shared before that when she was younger, her classmates and peers used to bully her for her unusual looks, but as she grew up and started modeling and acting, she eventually learned to embrace her looks and to love herself.
A Woman Who Was Born Without Joints In Her Tumb
This woman was born with a genetic condition called “Congenital Trigger Finger”, which has resulted in her not having a joint in her right thumb.
The condition has resulted in her having the smoothest thumb, which is probably not such a horrible trade-off for an entire lifetime with awkward handshakes. People who have this condition get it at birth, and surprisingly, it’s not as rare as we thought. Apparently, 3.3 out of every 1000 babies get it.
A Half-White Face
Believe it or not, when this woman was born, half of her face was white. Victoria Krus’ condition is called “Unilateral Vitiligo”, which basically means that she gets the condition only on one side of her body.
The model is completely unashamed of her stunning looks and has taken the world of modeling by storm. It did take her a long time to get to where she is today though. She claims to have been really insecure about her appearance when she attended modeling castings but eventually grew into loving herself.
This Person Has The Longest Thumb Ever
And the award for the longest thumb in the world goes to… this person with a condition called “Triphalangeal Thumb.” The guy has every single one of his fingers at a normal length, with the exception that his thumb is basically as long as his index finger.
Apparently, people with this condition have quite the advantage when it comes to playing musical instruments, and only about 25,000 children in the world are born with it.
A Boy With Blue Eyes And Vitiligo
This young boy from Uganda was born with a rare form of vitiligo. The condition is developed from birth and results in some truly random skin patterns.
This boy was born with what is known as unilateral vitiligo, which has spread in a few different patches of skin. He was also born with incredibly blue eyes that came as a result of Ocular Albinism, which has given him a look that could catch anyone’s eye.
A Girl Was Born With Red Hair And Different Colored Eyes
Now here’s one of the truest works of art out there. This young woman was born with red hair and a condition called heterochromia, which basically means she has different colored eyes.
The combination of both results in an extremely rare look. Basically, only some 2% of people in the world have red hair, and only as little as .011% of people have heterochromia. Just to put this calculation into perspective, the girl basically has her genetics at .0000022%, so if that’s not rare, then we don’t know what is.
This Girl Has The “Uncombable Hair Syndrome”
This girl is named Shilah Madison, and she was born with a condition called the “Uncombable hair syndrome.” Though it somehow looks pretty cool, unfortunately, her mother has shared that in addition to the hair constantly standing up it can actually be really painful.
Because her hair seems to break often from the root, the young girl sometimes finds herself in a lot of pain. Other than that though, she has fully embraced the look of a small lioness who is about to take over the world.
This Person Has Twelve Fingers
Now it’s not every day that we get to see a hand like this one! This person literally has six fingers on each hand, which is a condition called Polydactyly. Whoever is born with this condition has either extra toes, extra fingers, or even both.
Only about 1 in 1000 people in the world are born with it, which makes it another incredibly rare condition to have. Curiously, since six fingers are a dominant gene, there is a good chance that this woman’s children will have them too.
This Woman Seems To Have Her Pupil On The Bottom Of Her Eye
No matter how much we look at this woman’s pupil, the pupil continues to look like it’s somehow escaping towards the bottom of her eye. The condition, which is called “Coloboma,” seems to happen when a person has a “small hole” in literally any part of the person’s eye. In this list of already unique traits, this is probably one of the rarest.
Less than 10,000 children in the world are born with it, and though they can see as well as anyone else, their pupils and iris' look completely different.
This Person Has Toes That Are Basically As Long As Her Fingers
When a Taiwanese girl had her picture posted on a Taiwanese social media page, people from all over the world went completely nuts! She apparently has abnormally long toes that are seemingly not the result of a genetic condition, it was just the genetics she got from her family line.
According to her, she has what she calls a “greek foot” that her parents too were born with. Sadly, she used to be extremely mocked when she was growing up, but she has grown to see her toes as simply different, which for her, has become completely natural.
This Person Was Born With Webbed Fingers
Have you ever heard of a person who was born with webbed fingers? We’re guessing you didn’t. This person has a condition called “Syndactyly”, which is basically a fancy term for someone who has conjoined toes and fingers.
Believe it or not, 1 in 2000 kids in the world are born with this birth defect every year, so though the condition is rare, it’s more common than you’d think.
This Person inherited A Thumb From Each Parent
Now, this is a phenomenon these parents must be proud of. Their son actually inherited a thumb from each of them. Though this condition doesn’t actually have an official name, it really deserves the right to be on this list with how perfect it is!
The guy’s right thumb does have a condition with a name though, which is called Brachydactyly type D, causing the person’s thumb to be shorter.
This Guy Was Born With Amniotic Band Syndrome
Now, this guy has certainly embraced his unique condition with some sense of humor. He posted a picture with a card that said “You may only pick things up using your thumb and pinky for the remainder of the game. Be safe.”
Coincidently, because of his condition, he has a natural advantage in this game that unfortunately means that he has only a pinky and not the rest of his fingers.
This Person’s Waardenburg Syndrome Creates An Elf-Like Appearance
A person who is born with Waardenburg Syndrome basically has a mutation in their human genes that is extremely rare. Only about 1 in 40,000 people in the world have this syndrome, which gives a person a unique set of really wide-set eyes. People with the condition can also be deaf, though the combination is thankfully not so common.
Youtube star Stef Sanjati actually has Waardenburg Syndrome, and has used her platform to educate as many people as she can about how the condition affects one’s body.
This Woman’s Albinism Is Inspiring
Amongst all conditions in the world, albinism is probably one of the most common and widespread conditions. Approximately 1 in 20,000 people are born with albinism, which not only influences the way one looks but also their health.
People with albinism can suffer from vision impairment and deafness, which can sometimes be difficult. The condition does look incredibly cool though, giving many people a very mystical look.
This Is The Tallest Woman In The World
You might have heard of or seen this one, but we had to include one of the most extraordinary women in the world in this list. Gigantism is essentially a condition that causes people to grow extraordinarily tall.
It can be painful and dangerous, but it definitely results in a look that is one-of-a-kind. The woman in this picture, Elisany da Cruz Silva, stands at 6’9” tall and is currently the tallest woman in the world.
This Syndrome Makes People Look Young And Thin
Marfan Syndrome is a bit of a common syndrome that happens to 1 baby in every 10,000 births. People who have it look absolutely unique as their bones grow much longer than they usual, which results in really thin arms and legs, and a curved spine.
Bradford Cox of Deerhunter was born with this condition and has been extremely vocal about the physical difficulties he has faced, although thankfully, that hasn’t stopped him from pursuing his music.
This Person Was Born With Tentacles In Their Mouth
Here’s another one that you probably have to read and look at twice before really believing. It turns out that there is a person out there who was born with tentacles under their tongue, which is caused by a condition called “Plica Fimbriata.”
Though it doesn't hurt and it’s not dangerous in any way, it can sometimes get stuck between the person’s teeth.
Some People Have What Looks Like “Elf” Ears
Some people out there are born with a condition called “Stahl’s ear”, which is caused by the person’s ear having additional cartilage, which results in ears that are naturally pointy - hence the “elf ears” nickname.
Every 1 in 15,000 babies are born with a unique condition, and many either outgrow it or decide to fix it with surgery. We definitely don’t blame them since kids can be pretty mean when it comes to “being different”.
This Guy’s Condition Got Him A Job In Hollywood
Actor Javier Botet was born with a genetic condition that ended up landing him a job in several Hollywood horror movies.
Though you probably have no idea who he is when he has his makeup off, he was the actor behind leper in the film IT: Chapter 1. He has even landed the lead role in the film Slenderman thanks to not only his condition but his incomparable talents.
Unique Freckles On This Guy’s Face
Freckles are incredibly common in people from all over the world, and while some have tiny ones on their noses and certain parts of their faces, others have it all over their face (and sometimes on the rest of their bodies too).
Yet, this guy’s freckles couldn’t be more unique. Only half of his face has freckles, which is a rare occurrence that happens when one is still in the womb.
The Power Of Genetics Is Strong Here
Another case where the power of genetics completely took over! In this fascinating case, this person's father sadly lost his finger after an accident when he was only 10-years-old.
But little did they think that when he would have a child, the child would be born with a finger that eventually stopped growing, which was exactly the same finger that her father had lost.
This Guy Flips The Bird In A Unique Way
This guy was born with not one, but two middle fingers! The man was born with six fingers on each hand, with the extra finger being the middle on both hands.
We have to admit, if one is going to have extra fingers, then it might as well be the middle one just to make things as intimidating as possible. We’re pretty sure none of us would want to make this guy angry!
Challenging Gender Boundaries
You might have heard of Harnaam Kaur before, as this activist has been challenging and redefining what a woman looks like for a while now. She suffers from polycystic ovary syndrome, which results in her ability to grow facial hair at a rate that is a bit faster than other women (and some men).
This has resulted in Kaur choosing to let her beard grow while embracing it and fighting for more women to accept their bodies as they are.
A Similarity That Couldn’t Be More Surprising
Another condition with webbed (or fused) fingers is called Syndactyly. The unique condition is usually inherited genetically, but there are other unexplained reasons that can result in the condition.
The two women pictured here are actually not related at all, in case you were wondering. They are coincidently the wife and the sister of the person who took this picture and posted it on Reddit.
A Condition From The Middle Ages
Since all the way back in the Middle Ages, a condition called Hypertrichosis has been documented, which causes hair growth at an average that is above anything one can imagine.
Though it’s not 100% confirmed, it is suspected that a genetic condition is what causes the occurrence, which is extremely rare. To this date, there have been only 50 cases known to the public and reported worldwide.
A Baby And A Mother With The Same Birthmark
This picture shows us one of the most beautiful renditions of hereditary genetics in the world. The mother-daughter duo were both born with a white streak on the root of their hair, which happened in a way that took even the mother by surprise.
Many different genetic reasons could be the cause of this trait, but the reason for this specific condition is unknown.
This Girl Was Born With A Unique Peace Sign
This girl was born with a condition called “Joint Hypermobility”, also known as “double joints”, which basically means that a person has joints that are more flexible than other people’s.
The condition allows her to spread her fingers so widely that it seems completely unreal. Either way, though the condition is real, it doesn’t really make much of a difference in the person’s day-to-day life.
This Boy Was Born With Hair That Goes Into Opposite Directions
This boy was born with a condition that results in him having hair whorls. In simple words, those are hair patches that grow in circular directions either clockwise or counterclockwise.
So as you can see in this picture, he basically has two different hair whorls in opposite directions as symmetrical as they can be. The hair look basically gives him a cool natural mohawk, and a sort of owl look on the back of his head.
A Person With A “Backwards Hand”
Here we go with another incredible case of double-joints, this time called hypermobility. Basically, whoever has it, is able to flip their hand all the way back, and if they’re feeling fancy, they can even grab things in reverse.
Though this is not the first time we mention the condition on our list, it is actually really hard to come to by - roughly only 5% of adults in the world have this genetic ability.
This Man Has Two Uvulas
For those who don’t know, uvulas are that little piece of skin we all have in the back of our mouths. The little piece looks like a teardrop and is one of the vital organs that allows us to make our words sound like words.
This man’s specific case of having not one, but two of these uvulas, is called “cleft uvula”, which means that his uvula is actually split. His condition results in the guy sounding really nasally, but other than that, it doesn’t have any other side-effects.
This Woman Was Born With A Missing Ring Finger And Pinky
By now, we have all probably realized that being born without a finger here and there is apparently much more common than we might have expected.
This person, for example, was born with a condition called ectrodactyly, which results in the middle of the hand developing in a way that is not as common, resulting in a finger. Studies show that about 10% of babies in the world are born with a variant of this exact genetic condition.
A Model With Her Face Completely Covered With Freckles
Meet Hamad Jaman, a model who, as he grew, saw his face getting more and more freckles until it was completely covered with it.
The theory is that the freckles were probably caused by sun exposure, though to this date, scientists are still unsure of the actual cause of the unique skin condition. Yet, no matter what causes it, they surely makes one look completely gorgeous.
One Eye With More Than One Color
How cool is it that this person was born with different colors in just one eye? We’ve seen people rocking their different colored eyes, with the condition called Heterochromia, but this remarkable genetic occurrence goes one step further and is called Sectoral Heterochromia - an incomplete type of Heterochromia.
Just at first glance though, it sort of looks like the type of thing one would only encounter in a fantasy novel, but it actually exists in the real world and it’s beautiful.
This Woman Became A Coveted Model Because Of Her Beauty And Activism
You might have heard of model Winnie Harlow by now since she has become one of the world’s most renowned models in just a few years. Her dark skin is matched with some depigmentation that has created an appearance that is incredible and unique, that it’s almost impossible to forget.
The model rose to fame after appearing in America’s Next Top Model, and since then, has worked with huge brands such as Marc Jacobs, Fendi, Nike, and Victoria’s Secret.
A Scar On The Iris
This picture belongs to an anonymous Reddit user who decided to take to the internet to share their interesting genetic condition with the world. The person has what is described as an atypical iris since they literally have a scar on their iris.
Though one would think that maybe their ability to see would be compromised by this, they shared that an eye doctor confirmed that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the eye.
A Combination Of Genetic Effects
A woman called Ilka Brühl was born with a plethora of genetic defects that when combined, created the rare beauty that she is. During an interview, she shared a little bit about her experience: “I was born with a facial cleft and my nose airways were not properly formed."
Because Brühl’s tear ducts weren’t formed with the same size, when she cries, her tears only come out from one eye. Over the course of her life, she has had to undergo a number of surgeries, and today, she is a successful model.
This Woman Has 40 Inch Legs
Many people would love to have a long pair of legs, but how about a pair of 40-inch legs? This Swedish model has a rare genetic condition that has resulted in her growing with an astonishingly long pair of legs, which have obviously contributed to the creation of her modeling career.
However, like many on this list, not everyone praised her appearance when she was younger. The model, who is called Ostergren, shares that her classmates would constantly bully her when she was a child but she thankfully found a way to embrace her body.
A Human Being With Cat Eye Syndrome
Now, this may sound strange, but there are indeed people who are born with cat eye syndrome in every corner of the world - a syndrome that has been recorded for the first time back in 1899.
This young boy from Nepal was born with it and has developed a mesmerizing pair of eyes that have an almond shape and pupils shaped similar to a cat’s.
A Goddess Of Melanin
This “Melanin Goddess”, also known as Khoudia Diop, is a model from Senegal who has a skin tone incomparable to anything we’ve ever seen. Though this particular skin pigment is not specifically uncommon in her country, her really dark skin resulted in her being bullied as a child.
Thankfully, she eventually grew into a celebrated model in the fashion industry all over the world. Diop once rightfully shared: “Beauty is not what’s outside, it’s who you are. What’s inside is your true essence, and beauty comes from within.”
Extra Thick And Long Lashes
So many of us do everything in our power to get some longer eyelashes, and this woman got to be born with them already! No alterations and no makeup were required here, as she simply gets to flaunt these incredibly beautiful eyelashes as much as she wants because she was born with a condition called distichiasis.
The rare condition basically causes a person to have two rows of eyelashes growing together on the same lid.
A Belly Button That Is Shaped Like A Cinnamon Roll
Yea folks, you heard it right, this guy has a beautiful belly button that is literally the exact same shape as a cinnamon roll. The guy's belly button falls right in the middle of the two usual shapes that people have, and we have to say that it couldn’t look cooler!
Now, this can’t particularly be called a birth defect, since none of us are actually born with a belly button, but the defect is caused by the way his umbilical cord scar healed.
Natural Hair Steaks
As soon as it became a trend, people from all over the world began flocking to hair salons in order to acquire highlights that would give their hair that “pop” to stand out. But this little girl didn’t need any of that since she was born with a natural hairstreak in the back of her head.
She has a single brown lock that stands out amongst her beautiful dark blonde hair, and in a way, she reminds us of Princess Anna from Frozen.
A Woman With “Bowie Eyes”
This woman was born with “Bowie Eyes”, which is a nickname for a condition called Anisocoria. The condition refers to people who have one pupil that functions “normally”, while the other one remains fixed in the same position, always.
As we can clearly see, the condition is mesmerizing and it leaves one looking completely unique. About one in five people are born with it, which is perhaps the most common condition we have added to our list.
A Mutation That Is Known As “Lobster Claw Hand”
A person who has this condition gets it because of a mutation in chromosome 7. The condition is known mostly as “lobster claw hand” or “split hand/leg malformation”, and was once famously represented by Evan Peters in American Horror Story: Freakshow.
The condition results in a person having a clef in the place where they should have a finger or a toe, and it happens once in every 90,000 births.
These Twins Are Taking Over the Fashion World
Meet the Bawar twins, Lara and Mara. Born in São Paulo, Brazil, these stunning twins were always teased about their unique appearance until a black creative group called MOOC discovered them when they were just 11 years old and featured them in a video for Nike. This happened in 2016, and ever since then, the two have been featured in numerous photoshoots along with their non-albino but just as beautiful sister, Sheila.
Identical twins get a lot of attention from strangers even without being albino, so imagine what spending a day in these sisters' shoes is like!