Humans are inherently unique from one another. But, there are certain people who are much more different than most of us. What separates them from the rest are their rare genetic conditions that are simply mind-blowing.

Meet these 40 incredible individuals and be wowed by their one-of-a-kind genetic conditions!

1. This boy with Waardenburg syndrome

Occurring to only one in every 40,000 people, Waardenburg syndrome is considered to be one of the rarest genetic conditions in the world. The condition was first identified in 1951 by D. J. Waardenburg, an ophthalmologist. It is characterized by pigmented skin, different colored irises and in some cases, hearing loss and changes in vision.

2. Another case of Waardenburg syndrome now passed from parent to child

While Waardenburg syndrome is a rare genetic condition, the probability of passing it from parent to child is more likely. This mother and child are examples of this possibility.

3. White patch of hair from Mom to daughter

This is not just a case of hair dye fail. It is a unique condition called poliosis, wherein a portion of a person’s hair is grey in color since birth. As all genetic conditions are, this is something that can be passed from parent to child. Poliosis came from the Greek word “pilios” meaning the color grey.

4. Purple-blue eyes

Albinism is not only characterized by pale skin and light-colored hair. One of the most notable traits of an albino person is their eyes. In some cases, an albino person’s eyes are purple-blue in color. This is because of the absence of melanin in the eyes.

5. A redhead with heterochromia

Heterochromia is a condition wherein the eyes have different colored irises. This woman, who is also a redhead, has quite a rare combination of unique physical traits.

6. A congenital enormous mole

Having moles is something considered normal, but a mole as hairy and big as this guy’s is definitely a rarity. Huge furry moles are congenital gene defects that appear at birth or during the early childhood years.

7. Can’t comb her hair

Having a bad hair day? This girl isn’t, but her hair is naturally not in a good mood to be combed. She is Shilah Madison and her hair is uncombable. There are only 100 known persons with the same condition as hers.

8. 12 fingers

Polydactyly is a condition where a person has more than the normal 10 fingers and 10 toes. These extra digits are considered limb malformations and happen to about 1 and every 700 to 100 people.

9. His eye make other stop and stare

This guy is so used to people stopping mid-conversation with him just to stare intently on his eye. His condition is most likely coloboma, a hole in the structures of the eye which usually affects just the iris. It is a rare genetic condition that happens to less than one child for every 10,000 being born.

10. A cute birthmark

Birthmarks are common, but a uniquely shaped mark since birth is definitely awesome. This cute child has a lovable heart-shaped birthmark on her forehead. It’s even pinkish in color, which makes it even more adorable.

11. Thick lashes

Having thick lashes is something that a lot of girls would like to achieve. However, some people are born to have unusually thicker lashes than most people. They are persons whose condition is called “distichiasis”. People with this rare condition are most likely more prone to conjunctivitis or have more sensitive corneas.

12. Half vitiligo

We’ve all seen vitiligo, but did you know that it can happen to a person’s hair, too? This woman’s condition is called “unilateral vitiligo” which affects only half of her body. Amazingly, it’s not just her skin that’s affected, but even her hair, brows and lashes, too.

13. Elf ears

Elf ears are not just mythical traits. They are real! Elf ears are also known as “Darwin’s tubercule”, a congenital condition wherein the rim of the auricle is thickened.

14. A real horn?

Okay, don’t freak out, but yes this 69-year-old woman has a horn. She had it for two decades before finally having it removed. She had a cutaneous horn that grew asymmetrically reaching about 17 centimeters in length!

15. Two-toned hair since birth

No she did not get her hair done in the salon to look this way. She’s had a two-toned hair color since birth, and this is because of her genes. How convenient because now she can be both blonde and brunette without having to spend money on parlors.

16. Extremely long toes

No, you are not looking at hands. You are actually staring at a girl’s feet and those are her unusually long toes! This lady’s condition is called Arachnodactyly or commonly known as “spider fingers”, a condition where a person has long and slender fingers and toes.

17.Hazel eyes

Aren’t his eyes beautiful? The ring of brown in his eyes is due to the strange amount of melanin in his iris. This can happen in different ways to different people.

18. A longer-than-regular thumb

Ooh, that’s a really long thumb! Is this because of genetics or simply because he overused his thumb on playing mobile games in his smart phone? Hand therapist Nicola Goldsmith says this is possible, saying “thumb swiping could add to muscle length and bulk in the muscles.” So, that’s what will happen to your thumb after all that smart phone swiping!

19. Baby fingers

Seeing polydactyly in a baby may be unusual, but it is actually a cool sight. More often than not, polydactyly on the hands can also happen on feet and in the same person, just like what this baby has since birth.

20. Webbed hands

I have never seen humans with webbed hands before so this came as a shock to me, to be honest. It is out of this world, but it is a reality that happens to 1 in every 2,000 to 3,000 kids.

21. An eye-catching belly button

This guy’s belly button is like a perfectly swirled bread roll and it’s both cute and amazing! Belly buttons or navels are the scars left when the umbilical cord is cut at birth. It can take on different shapes as it heals, and this guy has a really unique looking one that always catches other people’s attention.

22. Two uvulas

The uvula is the tiny flesh which is an extension of the soft palate. It hangs above the throat and is visible when a person opens their mouth widely. While most of us have one uvula, this guy looks like he has two of them! It’s either that or he has a condition called “cleft uvula” wherein his uvula is split into two.

23. Coloboma on both of his eyes

Coloboma usually occurs on one eye, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen to both eyes. This child was born with coloboma on both of his irises and is a living proof of this possibility.

24. Missing a finger

While polydactyly is a case where there are extra fingers and toes, there can also be cases wherein a person has lesser fingers than the normal. This condition is called “symbrachydactyly” and it occurs while the baby is still in the womb.

25. Too wide a gap

Can you do a “peace sign” as wide as this woman can? If you do, then you have hypermobility of the joint. The Beighton scoring system is a way to measure the spine, elbows and joints based on a 9-point scale. It helps in determining if a person has hypermobilty.

26. The way this man’s knees bend

Have you seen anyone whose knees are bent this way when standing up? This is how hyperextension of the knees look like. It can happen to anyone, but athletes are most likely to be able to do this as they are accustomed to impact on the knees due to strenous activities.

27. Lashes and no lashes

Alopecia areata is a condition wherein hair is lost in some or all areas of the body. It is an autoimmune disorder causing unpredictable and uncontrollable hair loss. This person may have the condition but only on the eyelashes of one of his eyes.

28. En extra hole

We cannot see our ears with our own eyes, which means we may not be aware that we have preauricular pits. In other words, extra holes in the ears. It is not generally harmful, but if not taken cared of and regularly cleaned, this part can be filled with dirt or may be infected.

29. Stretchy skin

Some people have really stretchy skin just like this guy. The skin on his neck is too loose and flexible he can pull it to his face and bite onto it!

30. Triphalangeal thumbs

Thumbs normally have two phalanges, unlike the rest of the fingers in the hands. Some people are born with three and have a congenital malformation called triphalangeal thumbs. The extra phalangeal bone can be smaller or the size almost the same as the other fingers.

31. Double toes

No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. This person has double toes, but not exactly the usual kind of polydctyly. Insead of the finger being completely separate from the rest, this woman’s toes grew apart but not fully. Conditions such as these make it hard to wear regular shoes so using customized footwear will help in achieving comfort.

32. Inverted nails

Have you seen these nails in your family? These nails are called commonly called as “spoon nails” and appear inverted or upturned, unlike the usual curved ones.

33. Four middle fingers

Telling others off can’t be helped sometimes, especially when you’ve had enough. This guy hs a special case, though, and when he flips someone off, he’s doing it four times strong! His polydactyly sure is convenient when he’s freaking mad.

34. Symmetrical hair crowns

Hair crown are normal but seeing symmetrical hair crowns satisfies the perfectionist inside anyone. This boy’s symmetrical hair crowns are simply beautiful and rare.

35. Mirror hands

No, he’s not holding a mirror in his hand. His hands really has eight fingers like a spider with eight legs. This is another form of polydactyly which is commonly known as mirror hands.

36. The “unbendable” thumb

This photo may seem normal at first sight, but it actually isn’t. Have you seen the difference in her two thumbs now? Apparently, one is a regular thumb while her other them cannot be bent.

37. Not so little finger

We’ve seen extra hands and toes, lesser hands and toes and hands and feet with really long fingers and toes. This is another congenital malformation wherein the fingers are unusually larger than the regular sized ones. This condition is called “macrodactyly” and obviously, it means some fingers are larger than the rest.

38. No nose bridge

Nose bridges vary from person to person. There are some people with high nose bridges and there are others with lower ones. This guy, however, has no nose bridge at all!

39. Grabbing things backwards

Are yu seeing what I’m seeing? This guy’s hand is bent backwards, but it is definitely grabbing onto the bottle tightly! This is a form of hypermobility and it’s equally amazing and, let’s admit, a bit strange.

40. This man’s tongue

If strange is what you’re looking for then you’ve come to the right site. This person’s tongue has tiny tentacles underneath it and we’re freaking out! These are actually tags or normal residual tissue that are not completely reabsorbed by the body as the tongue develops and grows.

Wasn’t that quite an interesting bunch of genetic conditions? The next time you encounter person with these kinds of condition, care to see the awesomeness of the unique state they are in. In a way, these conditions are cool in their own way and it’s absolutely great to know that being different is not bad after all.

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Source: Bored Panda, Bright Side, Kueez