A woman who embraced her beard after suffering skin problems because of constant shaving and waxing has spoken out and hit back at her critics.
40-year-old LaRae Perkins from California has become a role model for women looking to embrace their body hair after proudly flaunting her beard and declaring she will no longer remove her facial hair.
As the mother admitted, she suffers from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, a hormonal disorder that results in the abnormal presence of male sex hormones and causes irregular periods.
The condition is often accompanied by other symptoms such as weight gain, oily skin, thinning hair and hair loss, and excessive hair growth on the face, back, and chest.
According to LaRae, she has been dealing with excessive hair growth, also known as hirsutism, ever since she was diagnosed with PCOS when she was just 12 years old – and even before that.
For years, she would often shave or wax her facial hair to avoid being scrutinized by strangers who sometimes go as far as questioning the fact that she really is a woman.
Fortunately, however, this only made the young lady stronger and she’s grown to accept her hair as it is without feeling the need to remove it at all.
“I began experiencing PCOS symptoms around puberty at the age of 12, but I had hair on my face my whole life,” LaRae explained.
“I had thick sideburns that connected to the back of my hairline at a younger age. The only thing mentioned at the time was that I had a higher percentage of male hormones known as androgen than most women. All women have androgen.”
LaRae also admitted feeling depressed, ashamed, and alone after she finally learned of her condition when she began experiencing irregular periods.
Though it was hard coming to terms with her situation, she now finally embraced her body hair and stopped seeking ‘treatments’ for the condition.
“I currently don’t treat my PCOS or hirsutism. I do not agree with any of the recommended treatments for my type of PCOS,” she added.
“Treatments include laser hair removal, waxing, and shaving. I love my face and skin too much to destroy it or cause more issues by trying to remove something that will never go away and I have no control over.
“I will never shave because I love my face and don’t want to cause more issues than just having a beard, my appearance is important to me and having skin that has dark marks, pigmentation, or even razor bumps would make me sad and feel less beautiful.”
She also learned to brush aside negative comments and use other people’s hatred to raise awareness about her condition and show other women like her that there is nothing wrong with embracing facial hair.
“Nothing hurts more than being asked, ‘What are you?’ I had to grow a tough skin over the years, causing me to make myself choose happiness over ignorance,” LaRae says.
“I had to begin loving the person I see in the mirror, telling her she is beautiful every day and it doesn’t matter what clothes I choose to wear. I’m still that beautiful being I’m looking at.
“The internet can be cruel but I am hoping my journey inspires other to embrace who they are.”
The mom added: “I have embraced my hirsutism by learning to love myself despite what others may think or have comments about and I want to lead by example for others, I would be a hypocrite if I had not learned to love myself first.”
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