Living with werewolf syndrome: Mother and her three children from remote Nepalese village undergo laser treatment to help their condition.

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Devi Budhathoki and her children Manjura, 14, Niraj, 12, and Mandira, aged seven all suffer from 'werewolf syndrome', a rare condition which causes excessive hair growth.
Devi, aged 38, and the children were all born with Congenital Hypertrichosis Lanuginosa, and as a result have thick, black hair covering their foreheads and other parts of their body where it does not normally grow.
In the hope of relief, the Budhathoki family travelled from their remote village in the mountainous Dolkha District in north Nepal to undergo laser treatment near the capital of Kathmandu.

Fresh faces: Devi Budhathoki, 38, her daughter Manjura, left, 14, and son Niraj, 12, smile and laugh after undergoing hair removal treatment at Dhulikhel Hospital in Kavre, on the outskirts of Kathmandu

Big change: 12-year-old Niraj seen before and after undergoing  laser hair removal treatment

Important treatment: For Manjura, 14, the treatment means entering her tumultous teenage years looking just like her classmates

New look: Their mother Devi poses for a photograph before undergoing laser hair removal treatment, left, and then after, right

Devi and her two oldest children all went through the non-invasive procedure to their faces in an attempt to lessen the symptoms and, in the case of the two children, make their social lives a little bit easier as they enter their teens.
The three can be seen smiling and laughing after undergoing laser treatment at Dhulikhel Hospital in Kavre, on the outskirts of Kathmandu.
Before the treatment Ms Budhathoki said: 'More than myself, I'm worried about my children. They are mocked by their classmates.
'My children have talked about the new life ever since we received the word that the hospital is going to treat us.
'My son has told his friends that he will be back with a new face and they can no longer tease him.'

Mother: Devi Budhathoki, 38, dries her clothes outside her house in Kharay, Dolkha District in north Nepal

Standing out: The youngest Budhathoki daughter, Mandira, aged seven, plays with other children from the village

Ready for a new day: Devi's son Niraj, 12, looks towards the sky in Kharay ahead of the family's journey to have laser treatment

The head of the family: Nara Bahadur Budhathoki, who does not suffer from the 'werewolf syndrome' speaks to his son Niraj, 12, and daughter Mandira, 7, as they look out of the window of their mountainside home

Solitude: Niraj and his siblings all suffer from Congenital Hypertrichosis Lanuginosa, a very rare disease that causes excessive body hair growth

Education first: The Budhathoki sisters and their classmates walk to the local school in Kharay

Same difference: Seven-year-old Mandira stands next to her friend outside a classroom at their school in Kharay

Big-eyed beauty: Mandira, too young to undergo treatment, looks up at a visiting photographer from underneath her furry brow

'Werewolf curse': Manjura, pictured in class at the village school, and her siblings have all suffered from bullying as a result of their condition

Average day: The Budhathoki family live a simple life in the mountainous Dolkha district of Nepal, where mother Devi cooks over an open fire in the sparse kitchen

Tea time: Manjura watches over her sister Mandira as she eats lunch in the kitchen of their home

Daily chores: Niraj does his homework at the kitchen table as his younger sister Mandira watches

A normal life: Devi and her youngest daughter care for their goats outside their cattle shed

Furry friends: Mandira plays with goats in the cattle shed at outside the family home in Kharay

The Budhathoki family all suffer from Hypertrichosis Lanuginosa which is visible from birth and sees all or large parts of the body covered in hair

Werewolf boy: Niraj drinks water from a stream near the Budhathoki family home in Kharay village

Easier life: Niraj, 12 is only affected on his face and back, with the condition not affecting him as much as his mother and sisters

Family ties: Nara Bahadur Budhathoki, 65, and his wife Devi pose for a photograph near their village in Dolkha District, 118 miles northeast of Kathmandu

Hypertrichosis means an abnormal amount of hair growth on the body.
There are two distinct types of the condition - generalised, which occurs over the entire body, and localised hypertrichosis, which is restricted to one area.
It can be both congenital (present at birth), such as in the case of the Budhathoki family, or acquired later in life.
Although there is no cure for congenital forms of hypertrichosis, it can be reduced through hair removal.
Treatment may have adverse effects, however, causing scarring, dermatitis, or hypersensitivity.
Several circus sideshow performers in the 19th and early 20th centuries, such as Julia Pastrana, had hypertrichosis.
Many worked as 'freaks', including as 'bearded ladies' or as characters with animal traits such as 'Wolfman'.
In 2011, Supatra Sasuphan an 11-year old girl from Thailand with hypertrichosis was named the world's hairiest girl by the Guinness Book of World Records.

Ready for a life changer: Devi has her blood pressure checked at the health clinic ahead of their impending laser treatment

New light: Devi looks at her daughter Manjura's face after the teenager has been prepared for the non-invasive procedure

Awakening: Devi studies her new face in the mirror as her eldest daughter receives her treatment at the hospital

The children's mother has told of how they suffered bullying from their classmates - something which they hope will be no more

Preparing for a new look: Manjura, 14, has her hair shaved before laser hair removal treatment at Dhulikhel Hospital

Facing the future: The young boy's face has been shaven and his skin prepared with a protective gel ahead of the treatment

New lease of life: Niraj lies on a hospital bed as a nurse prepares him for laser hair removal treatment.

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