Strange Disorders You've Probably Not Encountered Before

Hypertrichosis 

Hypertrichosis is colloquially knows as werewolf syndrome, a term that's enough to make anyone run for the hills. Medically, one of the forms of this disease is called congenital terminal hypertrichosis, which makes the condition sound like it's fatal.

Individuals affected by generalized hypertrichosis grow hair all over their bodies, except on the palms of the hands, the foot soles, and mucus membranes. The word "terminal" actually refers to the type of hair that covers the body — terminal hair is a thick, dark type of hair. Historically, people affected by the condition were frequently employed by circuses and some still do work in the circus. Perhaps the really scary thing here is how people tend to shun those who look different!

Agyria

Would you be taken aback if you saw someone with emitting a grey-ish blue, almost glowing color from their skin? Most people are — those who have agyria, a condition that appears to be irreversible, report that folks cross the street to avoid them, thinking they are radioactive or contagious. Living with this condition can also have a very serious impact on a person's career and romantic life, something that forces us to conclude that agyria is not harmless.

What causes this strange condition, then? Agyria is the result of "an overdose of silver"; the long-term ingestion of silver. It used to be more prevalent when silver was seen as a legitimate remedy for various medical conditions, but the popularity of colloidal silver in alternative health circles is threatening to make agyria more widespread. The moral of the story? Two, actually. Don't use silver as a remedy and especially not in large doses (no, there's no scientific  evidence that works anyway!), and try not to make assumptions based on someone's appearance. 

Blaschko's lines

Here's something we all have, though we may not be aware of it — Blaschko's lines. Blaschko's lines are skin lines that form patterns that are though to be the result of the migration of embryonic cells as we form in utero. They are not visible at all under normal conditions, but some diseases can make them apparent. This creates a strange, marble-cake like look to the skin and a "V" shape will become apparent on the back, while the chest shows "S"-like curves and wavy shapes are present on the head. 

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Blaschko's lines have been observed in other mammals as well. They can be the result of benign pigmentation and skin disorders, but can also be a side effect of more serious conditions such as Systematic Lupus Erythematosus.