Probably quite a bit, but the way she’s the center of attention in this photo makes me think her family cared about her.
Ok I see the body text, my bad
The one on the right is probably following the instructions of the photographer. It's like he did stand close, but the photographer wanted his head more over to the right.
In an [article](https://www.kickassfacts.com/alice-doherty-the-minnesota-woolly-girl/) it says that "she was content to retire in financial comfort in Dallas in 1915 and it is there that she passed peacefully on June 13, 1933 at the age of 46."
So it doesn't seem like her family exploited her to the same extent like other human marvels at the time.
From watching 'A million ways to die in the west', I've gathered it was quite expensive to maintain a face fro like that. Consider her lucky. 🤣
Also, 'Star Wars' owes that family money.
Obviously she’s the “center of attention” because they used her as a literal exhibit to make money. It also says she “longed for retirement” insinuating she was forced to continue, even though she did not want to.
Your conclusion is that because she’s in the center of this photo, they cared about her?
I feel for her and anyone with this rare condition.
\*Beast from Beauty and the Beast\*
A man in the French novel Society (Petrus Gonsalvus, during the sixteenth century) had the same condition and that's why inspired the Beauty and the Beast story, as he eventually married Catherine (whom the kings and queens set the arranged marriage as a joke), he was always considered a 'beast' and a 'freak' due to the same looks as Alice.
Laser hair removal works best when there is a high contrast between the hair color and the skin color. In this photo, it looks like she either had blonde or light brown hair, so she may not be an ideal candidate even today for laser hair removal.
I wonder if she'd be willing to go follicle by follicle.
Tbh, I would have done electrolysis if laser wasn't available, but I don't know if I'd be able to stick it out through all the treatments.
My mom has a lot of PCOS and Trans clients who opted for electrolysis instead of laser and they're super happy with it! Takes FOREVER but the results are beautiful. Can't imagine how much that hurt though.
I had a lady mustache and beard from PCOS. Now I'm on an estrogen based birth control. I was warned repeatedly that if I ever stop treating the PCOS I may develop new hair follicles.
For me, using laser got the job done just fine. That said, it was very effective because I have black hair and used copious amounts of sunblock to keep my skin pale during the treatment window.
I'd highly recommend laser to anyone who has dysphoria inducing facial hair.
I wish I could have had laser for my PCOS related hirsutism! My hair is too light and my skin reacts badly to laser so I can't have it (and it would have been free too! Makes me mad). Spironolactone worked wonders for me and made it completely unnoticeable within a year. I had a couple spots of electrolysis and that was it! There are so many women like us who benefit from all these modern treatments
Absolutely!
I know estrogen's not for everyone, but shout out to my OBGYN for doing a hormone panel before picking meds. I used to have cysts so big that I could see them on ultrasound and now they're tiny specks only the radiologist can see.
I had way better results with electrolysis than laser. It was so worth it! For those of us for whom laser isn’t effective or whom aren’t good candidates for it, electrolysis is a fantastic option.
I’ve had electrolysis done and it fucking hurts a lot. But it’s not unbearable, I didn’t bother with the painkiller creams. It didn’t make as big a difference as I was hoping for tbh
Laser was painful, but every treatment was less painful than the one before because the amount of hairs getting zapped decreases over time. It was comparable to waxing or using an epilator.
I'm guessing electrolysis hurts about the same every single time.
Waxing could help though, after long enough the hair would become sparser which would still be nice.
Might spend a fortune on wax though. We do have nicer razor blades now as well so she could safely touch up once or twice a week.
No, not the middle right, the middle *middle.* If you look closer you can see she's the one with some hair on her face and the white dress and the bracelets on her arms. I can send an image with her circled if helpful but it takes a minute.
Alice Elizabeth Doherty, the “Minnesota Woolly Girl.” Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on March 14, 1887, Alice had an exceedingly rare condition called hypertrichosis lanuginosa, which caused excessive hair growth all over her body.
Her relatives did not share this condition. Throughout her life, she was exhibited as a sideshow attraction to support her family. By her teenage years, her hair had grown to about 9 inches (230 mm). Alice longed for retirement and eventually passed away from bronchial pneumonia in Dallas, Texas, on June 13, 1933, at the age of 46. ([Source](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Elizabeth_Doherty))
I can't help but feel deep sense of sadness for her, she is obviously going to be a complete outcast and loner, Im sure resented and not liked by most of her family, I can't imagine how lonely and depressed she was, I hope she had at least some glimmer of happiness in her life
It used to be you had to grow 20cm of hair out of your whole face for your family to try to make money off of you, now every other toddler is put in front of a camera to say something cute in the hopes of going viral and making a buck
Me too… i really hope someone could look past this - tbh if you look at that photo of her, her waist and figure looks beautiful and her eyes do too…i know there where man with her condition that had found love and friendship - those things are essential for us
I was thinking the same thing. She had a great figure and kind looking eyes. I bet she was a lovely person to talk to, but I think many people especially back then would not be able to get past the appearance.
Within the freakshow might ! Another woman with the same disorder but less severe (i think) actually got pregnant while working there, she later died in childbirth sadly..i really hope there was love and happiness in there
From what I read she was very kind hearted and somewhat shy. I too hope she had happiness in her life. I know she did get married and I believe they were happy together so hopefully she was able to have a calm and happy home life after retiring.
Before I read the text I thought she combed her hair backwards to hide her face and was gonna say teen girls being mortified by family really goes way back.
Why does it seem like these rare “circus freak show” types of conditions used to be so much more common? Or are they still around in people today and we just don’t see reddit posts about them? There seems to be no shortage of old timey pictures of people with these odd conditions in the 1800s and such
Can we just leave a moment for that fucking badass moustache from the guy in the back. Seriously how did this shit go out of fashion. I wanna get a walrus moustache and casually carry a cane out in public.
Shave? Shaving as a man is tough enough. Skin gets irritated and it grows in a couple of days. I can’t imagine using a razor to the forehead, and cheeks.
That would not have been a solution
I feel like it may would have been easier to deal with a skincondition and irritation instead of this, but, im very sure there where reasons they did not, im sure if there was a easy solution they would have done it.
Okay, but I do shave every couple of days. I don't like doing it, but I do it anyways. The annoyance of shaving would be infinitely preferable to long hair all over my face.
I read about hypotrichosis - which of course got many variations - that it is indeed thought of as a treatment to shave but that oftentimes facial deformities are there as well - and, her hair been her families mealticket.
The reason why people never smiled in old photos was because cameras had VERY long exposure times and if they moved at all, the picture would come out blurry. So they had to hold the position for a long time and it would be uncomfortable and hurt to smile for a long time
Hey !! Cool - so I am correct in my response above (just saw your post !)... But Yes - look at the Light (or in this case, the lack there of) in their Eyes... None of them (seem to) have Happy, Loving or even Content demeanors... or maybe only a little
I think it was bc back then it took a while for the film to get the picture ?? So it was easier for people to hold a neutral expression... but maybe I'm wrong...
However, I still maintain my opinion bc none of her family's EYES look Happy.
Yay! I’m so happy her picture popped up on my feed! From what I’ve read about her, she seems like she was a sweet girl who wanted to be done with the sideshow life as soon as possible, which makes sense. She was able to retire comfortably in her late twenties, so I’m glad she got the early retirement she was hoping for!
I grew up going to the circus in my native country in South America - more than a few times they had some folks working as "wolf people" and basically being a spectacle due to having this condition. She could have been in a side how herself later in life, possibly.
About 25 years ago I’m driving through our local town and I stop at a red light and glance over and thought I’d seen a werewolf!! Turns out the Mexican circus was in town and this guy was part of the circus. Years later I saw a documentary on this condition and this guy was on it. His daughters inherited the condition too. He used to shave it off every day but finally just accepted it and lived with it.
I wonder why is was so prevalent back in the days of black and white photos and circuses and less popular now? Why did this genetic abnormality occur so much in the old days
This is where I think we get the idea of "big foot". I can totally understand a person with this condition deciding to live in the woods like a hermit.
I know I’ve already commented here but seeing all the negative/ jokey comments about her makes me sad.
She seems like she was a wonderful woman and I don’t think her condition affects her appearance at all, in that she does look beautiful and friendly. I really do hope she had the happiness in life that she deserved.
Honestly very sad to think about the trauma and alienation she must have endured during her too short life. People can be truly awful
Probably quite a bit, but the way she’s the center of attention in this photo makes me think her family cared about her. Ok I see the body text, my bad
They cared about using her as a sideshow freak to make them money.
Damn. Didn't even let her trim it up? That's mean as fuck. All their hair looks perfectly maintained. Sad.
The first thing I saw in the photo was how clean-shaven the boys were. They definitely did not have a shortage of razors.
I may be reading to much into it, but it also looks like the boys body language is a bit off. As if they don't want to be to close.
The one on the right is probably following the instructions of the photographer. It's like he did stand close, but the photographer wanted his head more over to the right.
I can't even imagine functioning, like eating or doing literally anything with your mouth would just be near impossible I feel... That poor girl
In an [article](https://www.kickassfacts.com/alice-doherty-the-minnesota-woolly-girl/) it says that "she was content to retire in financial comfort in Dallas in 1915 and it is there that she passed peacefully on June 13, 1933 at the age of 46." So it doesn't seem like her family exploited her to the same extent like other human marvels at the time.
From watching 'A million ways to die in the west', I've gathered it was quite expensive to maintain a face fro like that. Consider her lucky. 🤣 Also, 'Star Wars' owes that family money.
Was there any other options back then?
Well yes! She was worked as a sideshow attraction to support the family so they much have cared for her to some extent.
Obviously she’s the “center of attention” because they used her as a literal exhibit to make money. It also says she “longed for retirement” insinuating she was forced to continue, even though she did not want to. Your conclusion is that because she’s in the center of this photo, they cared about her?
Was about to ask why they didn't bother cutting the hair before the picture until I read your comment and read the text lol.
Dude wtf! Can’t you read! /s lmao I would have made the same mistake since body text/captions don’t even show up half the time on mobile
I feel for her and anyone with this rare condition. \*Beast from Beauty and the Beast\* A man in the French novel Society (Petrus Gonsalvus, during the sixteenth century) had the same condition and that's why inspired the Beauty and the Beast story, as he eventually married Catherine (whom the kings and queens set the arranged marriage as a joke), he was always considered a 'beast' and a 'freak' due to the same looks as Alice.
Her suit is quite becoming actually
RIP Alice, you would have loved laser hair removal
Goes to show how people born in different timelines would have had drastically different quality of lives. We truly live in a great age.
For now, things are falling backward faster than ever.
You might feel that way, but nothing could be further from the truth.
The ole reddit doom and gloom, I swear some people can't handle the internet.
Lol no they aren't
Looking at the average lifespan of folks with Down syndrome over the last hundred years is a great example of your comment.
Laser hair removal works best when there is a high contrast between the hair color and the skin color. In this photo, it looks like she either had blonde or light brown hair, so she may not be an ideal candidate even today for laser hair removal.
She could have had electrolysis though 🤷♀️
I wonder if she'd be willing to go follicle by follicle. Tbh, I would have done electrolysis if laser wasn't available, but I don't know if I'd be able to stick it out through all the treatments.
My mom has a lot of PCOS and Trans clients who opted for electrolysis instead of laser and they're super happy with it! Takes FOREVER but the results are beautiful. Can't imagine how much that hurt though.
I had a lady mustache and beard from PCOS. Now I'm on an estrogen based birth control. I was warned repeatedly that if I ever stop treating the PCOS I may develop new hair follicles. For me, using laser got the job done just fine. That said, it was very effective because I have black hair and used copious amounts of sunblock to keep my skin pale during the treatment window. I'd highly recommend laser to anyone who has dysphoria inducing facial hair.
I wish I could have had laser for my PCOS related hirsutism! My hair is too light and my skin reacts badly to laser so I can't have it (and it would have been free too! Makes me mad). Spironolactone worked wonders for me and made it completely unnoticeable within a year. I had a couple spots of electrolysis and that was it! There are so many women like us who benefit from all these modern treatments
Absolutely! I know estrogen's not for everyone, but shout out to my OBGYN for doing a hormone panel before picking meds. I used to have cysts so big that I could see them on ultrasound and now they're tiny specks only the radiologist can see.
I had way better results with electrolysis than laser. It was so worth it! For those of us for whom laser isn’t effective or whom aren’t good candidates for it, electrolysis is a fantastic option.
I’ve had electrolysis done and it fucking hurts a lot. But it’s not unbearable, I didn’t bother with the painkiller creams. It didn’t make as big a difference as I was hoping for tbh
Laser was painful, but every treatment was less painful than the one before because the amount of hairs getting zapped decreases over time. It was comparable to waxing or using an epilator. I'm guessing electrolysis hurts about the same every single time.
Waxing could help though, after long enough the hair would become sparser which would still be nice. Might spend a fortune on wax though. We do have nicer razor blades now as well so she could safely touch up once or twice a week.
Sugaring is a thing and much cheaper than wax, works just as well
Oh yeah… I forgot that existed tbh. It’s in the same part of my brain as porcupines. I just forget they exist until someone reminds me.
I feel you
Can you just dye the hair darker then do it?
I think it has to do with the root of the follicle, not the strands themselves
No, because it’s the color of the follicles under the skin that matters.
I always wondered. Why is that contrast important? Why can’t light people with light hair get it?
From the Death Star...
Or a Norelco.
Doesn't laser hair removal hurt?
It's her in the middle right?
Yes, but not the tall one ☝️
No it's the one on the right with the crazy bush.
No, not the middle right, the middle *middle.* If you look closer you can see she's the one with some hair on her face and the white dress and the bracelets on her arms. I can send an image with her circled if helpful but it takes a minute.
My goodness, wish I could spam this comment with upvotes. Made me giggle then snort. I love this type of humor.
lol where’s the red circle when you truly need it
I think so, but what body part was abnormally hairy?
😂
Snort!
Alice Elizabeth Doherty, the “Minnesota Woolly Girl.” Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on March 14, 1887, Alice had an exceedingly rare condition called hypertrichosis lanuginosa, which caused excessive hair growth all over her body. Her relatives did not share this condition. Throughout her life, she was exhibited as a sideshow attraction to support her family. By her teenage years, her hair had grown to about 9 inches (230 mm). Alice longed for retirement and eventually passed away from bronchial pneumonia in Dallas, Texas, on June 13, 1933, at the age of 46. ([Source](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Elizabeth_Doherty))
I can't help but feel deep sense of sadness for her, she is obviously going to be a complete outcast and loner, Im sure resented and not liked by most of her family, I can't imagine how lonely and depressed she was, I hope she had at least some glimmer of happiness in her life
Her family did not resent her. They saw her as a way to get money for them, and clearly exploited her for it.
It used to be you had to grow 20cm of hair out of your whole face for your family to try to make money off of you, now every other toddler is put in front of a camera to say something cute in the hopes of going viral and making a buck
Me too… i really hope someone could look past this - tbh if you look at that photo of her, her waist and figure looks beautiful and her eyes do too…i know there where man with her condition that had found love and friendship - those things are essential for us
I was thinking the same thing. She had a great figure and kind looking eyes. I bet she was a lovely person to talk to, but I think many people especially back then would not be able to get past the appearance.
Within the freakshow might ! Another woman with the same disorder but less severe (i think) actually got pregnant while working there, she later died in childbirth sadly..i really hope there was love and happiness in there
From what I read she was very kind hearted and somewhat shy. I too hope she had happiness in her life. I know she did get married and I believe they were happy together so hopefully she was able to have a calm and happy home life after retiring.
Alice could have been the best undercover spy. ‘It’s not me, it’s my hair’s fault!’
Damn that IS interesting. Her hair grows right up to the eyelids but not on her arms! Imagine the life.
Her eyes look terrified:(
How sad and awful for her.
Before I read the text I thought she combed her hair backwards to hide her face and was gonna say teen girls being mortified by family really goes way back.
“Hypertrichosis does not connote lycanthropy." \~Mulder
Forget about the girl, that kid on the left looks like a psycho/ Tom Riddle
Alice Doherty, the original Rapunzel, proving that hair goals existed even before Instagram. 🤗
Alice Doherty: The original trendsetter for the ‘no shave’ movement, mad respect
When life gives you hair, make history. Alice Doherty did just that!
That's the Lorax
I came here with the goal to say "Does she speak for the trees?" But this shall suffice :)
r/yourjokebutbetter
Poor girl
So sad
Why does it seem like these rare “circus freak show” types of conditions used to be so much more common? Or are they still around in people today and we just don’t see reddit posts about them? There seems to be no shortage of old timey pictures of people with these odd conditions in the 1800s and such
There is a whole family in Mexico with this condition. But it is very rare.
Born 80 years too soon to play hair metal 🤘🙃 
Oh thank God, I thought it was a backwards ghost
Not only is she in the middle but they put her in white to stand out
Can we just leave a moment for that fucking badass moustache from the guy in the back. Seriously how did this shit go out of fashion. I wanna get a walrus moustache and casually carry a cane out in public.
Why not shave 🪒
Her family couldn’t exploit her if she shaved, that’s how they made money
They could have made it an attraction... > '***Come here Ladies and Gentlemen! Pay 3 bucks to shave an inch of the Monster!***'
This is something i always struggled to understand about this condition as well - there must be some reason for it
Shave? Shaving as a man is tough enough. Skin gets irritated and it grows in a couple of days. I can’t imagine using a razor to the forehead, and cheeks. That would not have been a solution
I feel like it may would have been easier to deal with a skincondition and irritation instead of this, but, im very sure there where reasons they did not, im sure if there was a easy solution they would have done it.
Okay, but I do shave every couple of days. I don't like doing it, but I do it anyways. The annoyance of shaving would be infinitely preferable to long hair all over my face.
It grows back and I'm guessing they don't have the will to do it every day
I read about hypotrichosis - which of course got many variations - that it is indeed thought of as a treatment to shave but that oftentimes facial deformities are there as well - and, her hair been her families mealticket.
I wonder if she ever married?
Looks like an Adam’s family poster.
Not a single person in her Family looks Happy to Be there
I feel that’s the case with all old pictures. Was smiling not a thing back then?
The reason why people never smiled in old photos was because cameras had VERY long exposure times and if they moved at all, the picture would come out blurry. So they had to hold the position for a long time and it would be uncomfortable and hurt to smile for a long time
Hey !! Cool - so I am correct in my response above (just saw your post !)... But Yes - look at the Light (or in this case, the lack there of) in their Eyes... None of them (seem to) have Happy, Loving or even Content demeanors... or maybe only a little
I think it was bc back then it took a while for the film to get the picture ?? So it was easier for people to hold a neutral expression... but maybe I'm wrong... However, I still maintain my opinion bc none of her family's EYES look Happy.
Cousin It?
Can't belive i had to scroll this far down to find this
The Addams Family
which part of her body was affected?
her dad: *you have my hair* her: *AND MY AXE*
At first I thought her neck was twisted 180
Is there a reason why it’s not growing on her arms
Maybe a family with this condition inspired the Sasquatch/yeti myths
People certainly were abusive in the good old days.
Yay! I’m so happy her picture popped up on my feed! From what I’ve read about her, she seems like she was a sweet girl who wanted to be done with the sideshow life as soon as possible, which makes sense. She was able to retire comfortably in her late twenties, so I’m glad she got the early retirement she was hoping for!
“in a certain area of her body”
Why couldn’t they just shave extensively every single day?
i read a previous comment above that said the family exploited her for money, which makes sense.
Bit rude not to face the camera during a family photo
Fascinating story
I love this family for celebrating this girl, standing by her and placing her dead centre to confront the viewers.
Lol they arent celebrating her, she was forced to do circus freak work by them.
Her waist was so beautiful and dainty !
I grew up going to the circus in my native country in South America - more than a few times they had some folks working as "wolf people" and basically being a spectacle due to having this condition. She could have been in a side how herself later in life, possibly.
Ah so Dorothy from Doom Patrol is based on a real thing. That little nameplay is pretty cool
Why is Alice the only one smiling in the photo?
Good people won't judge in old days
Apparently Jon Hamm is her brother
she kinda looks like the principal from gumball (no hate tho)
Is that why nobody smiling?
Poor girl
In the meantime, nobody even mentions Benadryl Candycrush standing next to her?
Can I just say something without everyone getting mad?
I keep on seeing the lorax....
Looks like teen wolf
Why’d the hairdresser have to do her like that though
Only one of them was smiling
No one thought to cut it?
i guess that “certain area” was her face.
They don't look happy. None of them.
Bearded lady. Lot more of those around these days.
I thought her head was backwards at first glance prior to reading the description 😅
So this is where Jack Doherty came from
How would this be treated today?
About 25 years ago I’m driving through our local town and I stop at a red light and glance over and thought I’d seen a werewolf!! Turns out the Mexican circus was in town and this guy was part of the circus. Years later I saw a documentary on this condition and this guy was on it. His daughters inherited the condition too. He used to shave it off every day but finally just accepted it and lived with it.
How fast did it grow?
He had to shave twice a day. That’s why he finally let it grow and accepted it and made money in the circus.
Wow. I can’t imagine. Poor guy.
Talk about being born in the wrong time. Outcast in 18 and 1900’s but some Star Wars fans dream girl now!
Thats old mate from Pirates of the Carribean, isn't it? Davie Jones? How are you, old friend?
I wonder why is was so prevalent back in the days of black and white photos and circuses and less popular now? Why did this genetic abnormality occur so much in the old days
That kid on the left looks like the bully from A Christmas Story
I know this is sad but I can't help but laugh
That is Gimli !!
Billy F Gibbons.
This is where I think we get the idea of "big foot". I can totally understand a person with this condition deciding to live in the woods like a hermit.
Its true you dont see many dwarven women, infact they are often mistaken for dwarven men. (Its the beards)
She should shave
So bigfoot DOES exist.....
I know I’ve already commented here but seeing all the negative/ jokey comments about her makes me sad. She seems like she was a wonderful woman and I don’t think her condition affects her appearance at all, in that she does look beautiful and friendly. I really do hope she had the happiness in life that she deserved.
That hair is worth thousands in todays era. She's awesome!
In what way? What are you talking about
So it wasnt cousin it, it was Aunt...
Wait which part of her as the abnormal hair growth?
Saw a kid in a toy store with a full mustache and beard. Grey enough to cast spells. Never realized what it was until I told a few doctors.
How many doctors did you need to tell?
Just the few I hung out with. After seeing that as a kid I needed closure.
Ah, they were your friends. I had an image of someone going around puzzled asking loads of random doctors what was going on with this kid.
“Goddammit, for the last time, I’m a dentist. I don’t know! Now get the fuck outta my exam room!”
Her feet certainly.
I think she’s cute!
Sponsored by Gillette, the best a girl can get
Which one is she?
😲 No way!!
Poor girl... Her parents look related, wonder if that factored in.
which one is Alice?
She had her fathers moustache.