Teenager Zara Hartshorn has been living a life comparable to Brad Pitt's character in the film "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" because she is only 16 years old but looks 60. Zara, her sister Jolene and mum Tracey suffers the rare genetic disorder Cutis Laxa that causes skin to become inelastic and loosely hanging in folds which explains the premature ageing.

Mum Tracey met with specialist Abhimanyu Garg about the condition where it was discovered that the women have Cutis Laxa, a condition that has other severe implications as well. It can affect the lungs, heart, intestines, bladder and arteries with the possible deadly side effects such as diabetes, stroke, heart attack and cirrhosis of the liver.

Zara Hartshorn became the story feature on Channel 5's documentary "Help! I'm 16 But I Look 60" and the film showed how the condition affected the teenager's life, how she battled the rare condition and how she decided to undergo cosmetic surgery despite the health threats.

Even though Zara received a lot of support at home, she still had to endure years of bullying and humiliation because of her old appearance. "Growing up has been really hard. It's impossible to get a child's ticket at the cinema and when I wear my school uniform people think I'm in fancy dress," Zara shared.

Zara decided to voice out her personal experiences with bullies in order to raise awareness on her rare condition. "Children started being cruel to me when I was at primary school calling me 'baggy face' and 'granny.' I've been physically assaulted at school because of how I look so Mum took me out of school for a term when I was 10 after the bullying got so bad. It wasn't until secondary school I found a group of friends who accepted me for who I was, not how I looked," the teenager revealed.

Furthermore, there were instances that Zara had to walk home because she was publicly turned down for a child's bus ticket because people did not believe her age and she was mistaken for a school teacher with someone giving her a lesson plan. "I've never felt so on the spot in my life - I just wanted to die," Zara stated.

Zara continued to share that her teeth appears to be weak after losing four already even with regular brushing. "Two are at the front, which makes me very self-conscious and I don't like to smile with my mouth open. Mum explained that I had an illness like she did but I was beautiful and shouldn't pay any attention to what anyone said," Zara declared.

With her desire to live and experience a normal life, Zara carried on with the plastic surgery. "I don't feel like people are staring at me when I walk down the street anymore. I finally feel like a teenager. I've carried some hurtful comments with me all my life but now I feel ready to leave the past behind and forgive and forget," Zara happily shared.

Experts assured that there are certain procedures that can smooth out the "dented" skin even if the condition cannot be cured. "A plastic surgeon might transfer fat from one area of the body to the dented area. Other treatments involve filling the dent with injectable fillers or implants," Stefanie Williams, a London-based dermatologist, stated.

London