I am being asked to believe that this disease is real and an actual skin condition. While I don’t think it is completely fake, I do think that the symptoms and causes are from different reactions. The author tries to convince using stories of those affected, to feel empathetic towards those who have this issue. I found that my verdict is that this disease is more mental than physical. Those with it seemed more about the social aspect and being accepted in society, than there actual skin or physical symptoms. This disease is real in the way that people are delusional, or so stressed or anxious that they destroy their own skin and don’t even realize it. While abnormal fibers do protrude from the skin causing irritation, the disease is just as much a mentally debilitating one.
