These Women Are Growing Beards And The Internet Isn't Sure What What To Think About It

You might see a bearded lady in your near future, be prepared.

Alexandra

• Published in Interesting
• January 16, 2018

Listen up, I'm definitely guilty of putting off shaving my legs in the winter months. What girl isn't? After all, shaving is a time-consuming process that is kind of a pain in the butt.

Now, how many of you are guilty of letting that chin hair grow a little longer than you're comfortable with but really just didn't care because it wasn't that visible in the first place (or so you thought). 

I mean, even ADELE admits that she discovered one pesky chin hair that wouldn't seem to go away when she was pregnant with her child. She was harshly criticized by the press and the media alike for admitting this.

However, most ladies don't exactly consider this to be breaking news as we all know darn well we aren't the smoothest of smooth every day of our lives.

Sure, chicks with beards are still a sight to see but female facial hair is becoming more widely accepted than ever before. We Can Face It, a health-awareness campaign that is working to break the stigma that surrounds women with facial hair, reports that around 40% of females have some type of unwanted facial hair. The causes of this range from simply genetics to pre-existing conditions and even pregnancy, during which hormones are raging out of control and producing an increase of hair on both their face and their chest. 

However, as of lately, women other than those previously mentioned are embracing their facial hair for the first time. 

Instagram Senstation Harnaam Kaur is Well-Known for Her Beard

Kaur, a model, Instagram celebrity, and activist for body confidence, is leading the lady beard movement. She began noticing that hair was growing in odd places on her body in abundance. Upon realizing this, she headed to the doctor and was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. This disease can cause women to develop excess testosterone, resulting in unpredictable periods and possibly render them infertile. She was frequently bullied at school for the excess amount of hair she had to deal with and was constantly shaving, waxing, and using other methods of hair removal processes in order to save herself from the constant humiliation she was experiencing. 

When she was 16, Kaur was baptized as a Sikh and learned that the religion bans hair removal of any kind. So for the first time in her life, she had to refrain from removing any of her body hair, resulting in her full beard being visible to many. One would expect her to receive a great deal of criticism and judgment because of this but in fact, people were surprisingly supportive and encouraging.  While she is no longer practicing the religion, she has made the decision to keep her facial hair the way that it is.  She feels as though the hair has a positive impact on the way she views herself, "I find it negatively amazing how a woman’s body has politics attached to it. From our hair which is discriminated when naturally adorned, to our face and the make-up we wear,” she said, speaking on her Instagram: “Right now, we need rights just to be a woman.”

Kaur Looking Fierce With Her Fuzz

In 2016, Kaur's facial hair became literally record-breaking when she received the Guinness World Record for being the "youngest female with a full beard". She could not be more proud of her achievement. She hopes that her self-acceptance will enable other women to feel secure in their own skin, “I hope those who read or see my record can take away positivity, inspiration and realize that no matter who you are or what you look like, you are officially amazing!".

Don't Touch That Beard of Hers

Kaur's message of self-acceptance and body positivity has led her to some incredible opportunities in the recent past. She was the first woman to walk the runway with a full beard at London Fashion Week and has been featured on many TV shows to promote her body positive message and encourage others to love themselves the way that they are. She was even invited to speak at Parliment's Youth Select Committee's event discussing how body image effects young individuals. She brought up an amazing point, stating that pictures on social media tend to be quite doctored. She noted,  "The way that women's bodies and men's bodies that are being portrayed are not actually their natural form."

We agree, girlfriend. 

Get It Girl

Alexandra