Zara Hartshorn was only 16 when she had a facelift to restore her looks. Even at 12-years-old, she already looked decades older than her real age. Because of this, people thought she was already in her 50s.
Hartshorn inherited a rare disease from her mom Tracey Gibson, who looked older than her 43 years. Both are suffering from lipodystrophy, a rare genetic condition responsible for their aging look. However, lipodystrophy expert Dr. Abu Garg said they had Cutis Laxa.
People suffering from Cutis Laxa are faced not only with aging looks, but also with more serious problems that can affect the heart and lungs, according to Mirror. Hartshorn then remained unfazed and focused on improving her appearance by getting a facelift.
"Since I found out I had Cutis Laxa, I have literally done nothing about it. The last time I saw a doctor was in Texas, which isn't good," Hartshorn said. "My health does worry me, but only when I think about it," she added,
Now in her 20s, she is determined to live like most normal people do, but her health is deteriorating and her face has sagged and looked older too, as per The Sun. Dr. Zsolt Urban said she could have heart failure anytime because of her condition. After being assured by a scan that her heart was fine, she has now resolved to reach out to people with the same condition.
The initial diagnosis of lipodystrophy has something to do with fat redistribution or how fat is made, used and stored, according to WebMD. It is also somehow related to the human immunodeficiency virus since almost a third of HIV positive patients have the disease.
Cutis Laxa is a very rare condition affecting one out of two million babies. This acquired or inherited disorder leads to inelastic skin that hang in folds and can get worse over time.
