Comments on: Extreme Epidermis: 7 Skin Conditions

By: dm walsh

dm walsh — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:13:17 +0000

when i was a small child, i just loved going to the freak shows. i don’t care if it was ‘right’ to display the otherness of humans, but you gotta admit: it was fascinating. it also had another good side effect. it employed what would’ve been the unemployable. gone are these shows in circus or sideshows in coney island. the deplorable ‘politically correct’ stance has ruined another american mainstay. rats!

By: Carly

Carly — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:15:02 +0000

Uggh. I saw the TV show of the guy who had human papillomavavirus. He can’t do any physical labor so he has to get money by being in a freak show. Very sad.

By: Kristen

Kristen — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:22:49 +0000

If you do a bit of side research, you can find more pictures and videos of the man from Java with HPV. It’s fascinating and sad, but he deals with it and he’s having surgery.

By: Eulalie

Eulalie — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:22:43 +0000

My husband has a third nipple. Of course I didn’t believe him when he initially told me! But it’s definitely there. It’s smaller than an average nipple though to where it’s barely even noticeable.

By: mallchin

mallchin — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:14:44 +0000

“sometimes benign and sometimes cancerous”

The two are not neccessarilly mutually exclusive.

By: J.Mo

J.Mo — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 08:31:46 +0000

…I fail to see any nipples, let alone extras.

By: autumn

autumn — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 02:17:11 +0000

Most people, over 95%, are naturally immune to leprosy, and nobody is exactly sure about the mode of transmission.

Leprosy doesn’t really cause a person’s appendages to rot and fall off. Instead, it causes nerve damage that leads to loss of sensation. Without sensation to the hands, feet, nose, etc they tend a constant barrage of bumps, bangs, and burns which can eventually lead to disfigurement or loss, either from the trauma itself or secondary infection.

By: DelRay

DelRay — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 01:43:25 +0000

Here is one that I had to do a report on and really skeeved me out: Pemphigus. It causes the skin to slough off when the stuff holding the skin together has an autoimmune reaction against it.

By: RIchard Y

RIchard Y — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 23:19:21 +0000

The last man mentioned was profiled on I believe NatGeo channel, they called him the tree man b/c the warts resembled roots. Interesting show, great topic. Thanks again Mental Floss!

By: Lindsey

Lindsey — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:57:41 +0000

Where’s the link to the 1909 article arguing that the leprosy in the Bible was not really leprosy? I’m intrigued.

The hairy tongue is revolting. Poor people.