Real Life

Bearded woman reveals why she stopped shaving her face

She says she's finally ready to embrace the real her.
Polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome

A woman who has shaved her beard for years has opened up about her decision to grow it out in full.

Rose Geil, 39, talked to British talk show This Morning about going all natural, after years of shaving her face.

Geil was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome at just 13 – which is a condition that affects the hormonal balance in women. Despite taking medication for the disorder, Geil still grew hair on her face and felt compelled to shave it daily.

But after 20 years of shaving her skin was torn up, irritated and thoroughly unhappy.

“My full personality was never present. Instead of facing ridicule, I hid. I didn’t participate fully in school as a young child — even going to class on a regular basis was difficult for me,” she said. “I

was wearing things with high necks and long sleeves to hide my issue,” she told hosts Holly and Phil.

Rose Geil decided to stop shaving after 20 years

And Geil says social media really helped her to find the support and the confidence she needed to be herself.

“Even before I let my beard grow, I was following certain accounts that were run by bearded women or just people in general who didn’t conform to a conventional look, or gender roles, even. Inspiration is there, it’s a beautiful thing.”

Heartbreakingly, Geil says she feels she could have saved herself years of anguish if she had just realised it was OK to stop shaving sooner, but admits “I was ready now. Now is the time to do it.”

Watch Rose’s awesome interview with This Morning above.

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