Ten month old twins from Poole, Dorset are identical in every way but one – little Joshua has an impressive head full of hair, whereas twin brother Jacob only has a few small tufts. Joshua’s striking hair is due to side effects of a medication he needs to take daily to control his insulin levels.
A full head of hair at ten months
Their mother, Rachel Filmer, says that no one has any problem in telling the little boys apart due to their distinct difference, but many people refuse to believe Joshua is just ten months old because of his hair.
Mrs Filmer originally had difficulty in her pregnancy and had to have an emergency C-section as doctors discovered Joshua had stopped growing in her womb. Joshua was born weighing just three pounds yet his blood sugar levels would keep dropping.
Just a few days after the twins were born, Joshua was diagnosed with hyperinsulinism; a condition in which the body produces too much insulin and can lead to blood sugar levels dropping dangerously low if left untreated. The drug he was given to control his hyperinsulinism was formerly given to balding men to encourage hair growth.
Why the medication is no longer available as a hair loss solution
Originally the medication was used to treat hair loss and promote new hair growth, but it was stopped as medical experts found patients who were taking the drug ended up developing diabetes. As diabetes is a condition in which the body produces too little to no insulin whatsoever, it was deemed more suitable to use the drug to treat hyperinsulinism and cease the use of it as a hair loss solution. It’s always best to talk to your GP or a specialist hair loss clinic about the potential side effects of any treatment.
Although Joshua’s parents were informed about the pleasant side effect of the drug, they had never imagined that he would grow such a fine head of hair before even reaching the age of one!
