Women
who have had facial hair for some time and who have hidden that fact
from the public for long, have finally begun to come out to show the
world how they look with beards on.
Some days after the world famous singer Adele revealed she has a
beard that she just cropped out and that she started growing facial hair
while pregnant, other brave ladies with the same condition have decided
to ditch their insecurities and embrace their facial follicles.
Adele, confessed to gig-goers in Glasgow that she has a beard, she said: “I actually have a beard, but I’m proud of it. I only cropped it last night. I call it Larry.”
Her confession has been applauded by others who have had struggles
with their stubble and three women who sport impressive beards came out
with their own stories.
In a interview with Diana Appleyard they revealed more about the condition:
Mariam Mitbart
Mariam Mitbart, from Bath, writes a blog that celebrates female
facial hair and has appeared as a bearded lady in a circus. She is
single and has a 31-year-old son.
Mariam, 51, says:
I feel more sexy and womanly now. Like Adele, my facial hair
began growing after the birth of my son because of the hormones released
in pregnancy.
My doctor at the time told me that it happens to a lot of women and that my facial hair would stop growing, but it hasn’t.
At first, I was horrified and I used to pluck the hairs on my
chin every day. But after nearly 20 years of doing that my chin was very
red and some of the hairs had become in-grown.
I looked as if I had fallen over and landed on my chin. I tried
electrolysis three times, but each time the hairs grew back. So eight
years ago I decided I’d had enough of continually plucking and let the
beard grow.
I started a blog telling other women about my condition. At
first, I was scared that no one would talk to me any more, and my mother
said to me, “Do you have to shock people like this?”
Sarah Taylor
Admin assistant Sarah Taylor has struggled with facial hair issues
since she was 18. She lives in Aylesbury, Bucks, with her fiancé Tom,
26, a builder.
Sarah, 24, says:
I feel like half-man, half-woman, it’s hard. Having facial hair
is so difficult as a woman so thank goodness Adele has approached the
subject with such openness. It may seem like a joke to some, but having a
superstar speak about having a beard will make a big difference to so
many women who beat themselves up about their facial hair. I started
growing stubble when I was 18 and it has had a massive impact on my
life.
My fiancé is extremely supportive but I always carry a razor in
my handbag and, if I feel I look a bit stubbly, I will quickly shave. I
normally shave every two or three days, and I have also tried waxing.
I’d like to try laser hair removal but I think it would be very
expensive.
Like many women with facial hair I have polycystic ovary
syndrome, which will also make becoming pregnant difficult if not
impossible.
Coming to terms with that was hard enough, but growing facial
hair made it ten times worse. At first I had faint stubble, then the
problem escalated. Growing a beard made me feel terrible. My friends
were very supportive, but I felt so self-conscious about people staring
in the street. My little brother, who was only four at the time, said:
“Why do you have hair on your face?”
I feel as if I’m half-man, half-woman, which is hard. I smother
my top lip and chin with make-up, but still feel people can see the
hair. I could bleach it, but it wouldn’t affect the hair growth.
Harnaam Kaur
Harnaam Kaur is a body positivity campaigner from Slough, Berkshire. She had facial hair as a child and was bullied.
Single Harnaam, 25, says:
The joke is now on those cruel bullies. I was just 11 years old
when my beard started to grow and the hair quickly spread to my chest
and arms. My condition made me the victim of bullies at school and on
the streets — I’d be called “beardo”, “shemale” or “sheman”. The taunts
were so bad I didn’t want to go out and I used to lock myself away in my
bedroom.
I was so depressed about my facial hair I started to self-harm,
and there were times when I felt that I could not go on living. I used
to try to shave, wax or bleach the hair but that just made it worse. I
used to talk to people with my hand over my chin, and I wore baggy
clothes to cover up my arms. But when I was 16 I was baptised as a Sikh
and, at that point, I decided that I was going to embrace my beard and
let it grow with pride.
I had been diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, which
basically means your hormones go haywire and I had too much
testosterone. I feel I have never looked back since that point and the
joke is now on the bullies who were so cruel to me, because my beard has
given me opportunities I would not otherwise have had. This is the way
that God has made me and I am so glad that Adele has treated this issue
so openly, with honesty and humour. I feel more feminine and sexy now
that I have let my beard grow.
At first my parents were worried for me, thinking that I
wouldn’t be able to get a job or ever get married, but now they and my
brother are fully supportive.
If people stare at me in the street, I just smile right back at
them and if anyone shouts, “Oi, where did you get that beard?” I reply,
“Asda.” I’ve recently taken part in a fashion show and I was so proud
on the catwalk. I love fashion, dressing up and getting my nails done
- The Sun UK
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