Teen Girl Appears Middle-Aged, Wants Facelift

By Margaret Hartmann | February 1, 2010 | 4:20pm

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Today 13-year-old British girl Zara Hartshorn spoke to GMA about growing up with a genetic condition that makes her look middle-aged. While most teens worry about pimples she said, “I’m worried about surgery… and when’s the bullying going to stop.”

Zara’s mother, Tracey, and two of her seven siblings also suffer from lipodystrophy, which causes the fatty tissue under the skin to deteriorate while the skin continues to grow. In another interview on Today, Tracey said she feels guilty for passing on the condition to her daughter. “I don’t think there is a way to protect her. She’s always going to have somebody that will be willing to make fun, ridicule her.”