Rare Condition Causes 16-Year-Old Girl To Look Middle-Aged [VIDEO]

As women age, the typically grow more and more concerned about looking too old.  There is one teenager who has already been dealing with this problem for years.

Zara Harrison, a 16-year-old from South Yorkshire, England has physical features on her face and body that look like those of a middle-aged woman.  For years, Zara thought her appearance was caused by a metabolic condition known as lipodystrophery, which is characterized by the partial los of body fat.

Zara's mother has also suffered from the same condition.  But after visiting a lipodystrophy expert, Zara and her mother found out they actually suffered from an even rarer genetic disorder known as cutis laxa.  The revelation was worrisome as the condition causes many other health issues, and a shortened lifespan.

After going public with her story in 2010, Dr. Robert Ersek, a plastic surgeon in Austin, Texas, offered to give Zara a free facelift.  While the surgery didn't cure her of the disease, Zara said it has made her feel much more confident and happier in general.  "I'm now able to do things like going to college and having a career which I might not have felt possible before." Harrison said.