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“It’s Too Risky”: 107YO Goes Viral For 4-Inch “Longevity Horn” Growing From Her Forehead
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“It’s Too Risky”: 107YO Goes Viral For 4-Inch “Longevity Horn” Growing From Her Forehead

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A 107-year-old Chinese woman has left social media users stunned after revealing a massive horn growing from her forehead.

The lady, Chen, has become a sensation on the Asian platform Douyin after a video showcasing her strange four-inch protrusion went viral. Netizens have dubbed the growth a “longevity horn,” believing it possesses magical properties that explain Chen’s impressive age. 

Highlights
  • 107-year-old Chen went viral for her 4-inch 'longevity horn' on Douyin.
  • Dermatologists identify the horn as a cutaneous horn, not magical.
  • Half of such horns may be pre-malignant or malignant, linked to skin cancer.
  • Doctors advise removing the horn to check for malignancy, despite concerns.

Not only has Chen led an unusually long life, but she remains in excellent health. Those close to her describe her as having a strong appetite and a cheerful disposition, with her viewers believing the horn to be the secret to keeping her healthy.

“Do not remove it under any circumstances!” one viewer warned. “My grandmother had a similar growth removed and passed away just days later!”

A 107-year-old woman in China went viral after she showcased a large 4-inch “horn” growing on her forehead

Image credits: Sabine van Erp/Pixabay

The horn has no magical properties or health benefits despite what Chen’s followers may believe. 

Dermatologists describe these strange occurrences as cutaneous horns, rare, cone-shaped skin growths akin to animal horns, coral, or wood that are more common in older patients around 60 to 70.

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The “horns” are caused by an overgrowth of the skin’s foremost superficial layer, the epidermis, and are thus white or yellow. They are usually benign, causing no damage to the person other than potentially breaking or causing inflammation.

Image credits: NX

Half of them, however, are described as pre-malignant or fully malignant, which means they are indicative of skin cancer. While both types of horns look similar, dangerous ones are more common in older patients and males than females.

The malignant variant is called Squamous Cell Carcinoma and is more likely if the horn is painful, large, has significant induration at the base, features a broad base, and has a degree of redness.

Dermatologists urge patients to remove the horns to examine the tissue and determine whether they are benign or cancerous

Image credits: NX

While some of Chen’s viewers pleaded with her family not to remove the massive horn on her forehead, doctors recommend excision as soon as possible to examine the tissue and determine whether the growth is benign or malignant.

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“Histological examination of the horn base is crucial to rule out malignancy,” explained Dr. Tina Tian of Hawke’s Bay Hospital in New Zealand. “There are no certain clinical features that can definitively distinguish benign lesions from skin cancer.”

Image credits: NX

Cutaneous horns can effectively grow anywhere on the body, including private areas, but are more common on sun-exposed areas like the head, ears, back of the hands, forearms, neck, or shoulders.

According to Dr. Tian, it’s impossible to assess whether Chen’s horn is indicative of a type of cancer, but before-and-after photos show that the horn has doubled in size in recent years, developing a large base and becoming darker in color.

Chen’s horn isn’t the first time the growth has made someone famous, with a 19th-century French woman holding the record for the largest at 10-inches

Image credits: NX

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While Chen’s horn is impressive in its own right, it pales in comparison to Madame Dimanche’s, a 19th-century French woman who is said to have grown the most prominent and thickest cutaneous horn in history.

At almost 10 inches, Dimanche’s forehead growth grew rapidly over six years, first developing when she was 76 years old. 

Dr. Thomas Dent Mütter, an American surgeon born in 1811, is one of the pioneers of plastic surgery. He dedicated his career to helping people who had experienced severe burns or deformities. He collected various artifacts throughout his life, including a wax replica of Dimanche’s face before her horn was removed.

The wax visage shows a massive, tree branch-like horn growing above Dimanche’s right eye and extending below her jaw. The replica is currently stored at the Mütter Museum in Pennsylvania, part of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia.

Netizens reacted with curiosity, squeamishness, wonder, and concern at Chen’s horn. Some urged her family to remove it, while others advised against it due to her advanced age

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Image credits: muttermuseumstore

“Wait for it, the supplement sellers will soon be marketing ‘extend your life with horn powder,'” one reader joked.

“Seriously, why wouldn’t someone want to get that removed as soon as possible?” another wrote. “Because of her age, it’s too risky,” a user replied.

“Judging by all the freckles, she has spent much time in the sun. Thus, the growth,” another explained.

“That poor lady having that grotesque thing protruding from her forehead. I would have had it taken off long before it reached that size,” another pointed out.

“Wait, so if we live past a 100 we become unicorns?” one user asked, while others joined in to joke about Chen’s unusual feature

Image credits: randhawa22032

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Abel Musa Miño

Abel Musa Miño

Writer, BoredPanda staff

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Abel is a journalist at Bored Panda. Born in Santiago, Chile, he holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication and a diploma in International Relations. In his spare time, you can find him tinkering with his motorbike, playing with his dog, or reading a good novel.

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Abel Musa Miño

Abel Musa Miño

Writer, BoredPanda staff

Abel is a journalist at Bored Panda. Born in Santiago, Chile, he holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication and a diploma in International Relations. In his spare time, you can find him tinkering with his motorbike, playing with his dog, or reading a good novel.

Donata Leskauskaite

Donata Leskauskaite

Author, BoredPanda staff

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Hey there! I'm a Visual Editor in News team. My responsibility is to ensure that you can read the story not just through text, but also through photos. I get to work with a variety of topics ranging from celebrity drama to mind-blowing Nasa cosmic news. And let me tell you, that's what makes this job an absolute blast! Outside of work, you can find me sweating it out in dance classes or unleashing my creativity by drawing and creating digital paintings of different characters that lives in my head. I also love spending time outdoors and play board games with my friends.

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Donata Leskauskaite

Donata Leskauskaite

Author, BoredPanda staff

Hey there! I'm a Visual Editor in News team. My responsibility is to ensure that you can read the story not just through text, but also through photos. I get to work with a variety of topics ranging from celebrity drama to mind-blowing Nasa cosmic news. And let me tell you, that's what makes this job an absolute blast! Outside of work, you can find me sweating it out in dance classes or unleashing my creativity by drawing and creating digital paintings of different characters that lives in my head. I also love spending time outdoors and play board games with my friends.

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George Costanza
Community Member
5 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These can derive from an underlying squamous cell carcinoma, actinic keratosis, viral wart, or benign tumor like a trichilemmoma. Given that she's 107 and has had this a long time, I don't think she should bother getting it removed. She'll die of something else before this kills her.

Petra Peitsch
Community Member
5 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If I ever reach over 100 years, I wouldn't give a flying f.uck about, what "hornes" are coming out from my body, as soos as, they don't bother my everyday life.

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George Costanza
Community Member
5 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These can derive from an underlying squamous cell carcinoma, actinic keratosis, viral wart, or benign tumor like a trichilemmoma. Given that she's 107 and has had this a long time, I don't think she should bother getting it removed. She'll die of something else before this kills her.

Petra Peitsch
Community Member
5 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If I ever reach over 100 years, I wouldn't give a flying f.uck about, what "hornes" are coming out from my body, as soos as, they don't bother my everyday life.

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