Ari Wibowo sheds his skin like a
snake every 41 days and must
constantly smear his body with
moisturiser to stop it hardening and
seizing up.
The Indonesian teenager has a rare
skin condition that doctors in
Indonesia have been unable or
unwilling to treat and which has left
him with an extraordinary
appearance.
He suffers from Erythroderma, an
inflammatory skin disease also
known as 'red man syndrome', that
causes the skin over almost the
entire body to become scaly and
flake off.
Ari has shed his skin every 41 days
since he was born 16 years ago. He
must soak his body in water every
hour - night and day - and smear
himself with lotion every three hours
to prevent drying out.
Photographer Nurcholis Anhari Lubis,
35, has documented the little boy’s
condition as part of an essay project
and describes the boy's skin
condition as ‘scaly like a snake
about to shed his skin’.
‘It’s really sad because he was not
born normally and has scaly skin all
over his body, similar to being
severely burnt, from the sole of his
feet up to his head,’ Mr Lubis told
Daily Mail Australia.
‘If the boy doesn't moisturise or soak
his skin in water, his body would
shrivel and harden up like a
sculpture and he won't be able to
move,' Mr Lubis said.
'If he leaves it unattended for too
long, he won’t be able to speak
because the wrinkles inside his
mouth would go hard and it would
dry out all his blood in his body.'
Mr Lubis said Ari's family were told
by doctors at the hospital where he
was born that it did not have the
resources to treat the condition, and
asked them to take the infant away.
He and his family now live by a
routine of constant washing and
dressing his skin with creams.
Still, the boy is trying to live a normal
life in his village.
'He eats normal food like everyone
else and his favourite snacks are
instant noodles and crackers,' Mr
Lubis said.
‘He had trouble making friends when
he was younger and would often go
and play with the other kids but most
of the time, they would avoid him
because he is different to everyone
else.'
Ari is taking lessons, but is forced to
study alone because of ignorance
about his condition in the
community.
‘No schools are willing to accept him
because they fear his skin condition
would be contagious to teachers and
other students,' Mr Lubis said.
Ari also suffers prejudice because of
superstitions in his village.
Mr Lubis said many people blame
Ari's condition on a superstition that
if a woman mistreats animals while
she is pregnant then it will affect her
unborn child.
Some people believe Ari's mother
‘tortured a lizard’ she found in the
family home when she was pregnant
with Ari.
‘I do not believe the myths but in
Indonesia, there are still a lot of
people who believe this,’ Mr Lubis
said.
Jakarta-based Mr Lubis spent four
days with the little boy and his
family.
‘When I approached Ari for a photo
shoot, he looked very shy but didn't
feel embarrassed and was happy to
share his story,’ he said.
‘My interests have been to document
lives and the way humans live in
their own world, interacting with it
and struggling to change it into their
own way.'
Ari has trouble talking because of the
condition and the vision in his right
eye is impaired, while the left must
be kept moist with constant drops.

SOURCE:
aitonline.tv/post-the__snake_boy__who_has_shed_his_skin_every_41_days_since_he_was_born

Eya
he is probably going to die a virgin

This is a type of icthyosis, probably genetic. It's not red man syndrome. It doesn't have a cure yet.

Why term him the "snake boy" because he shed his skin?
Poor him, I feel his pain.

kekakuz: Eya
he is probably going to die a virgin

Is that all u can think about? Won't be surprised if u're still a virgin