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Sikh Woman Ditches The Razor To Embrace Her Beard

aristotle

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May 10, 2010
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Ancient Greece
A 23-year-old woman with a condition causing excessive hair development has revealed that growing a beard makes her feel more feminine.

Harnaam Kaur, of Slough, Berkshire, suffers from polycystic ovary syndrome - and a beard first started to appear on her face aged just 11. The hair quickly spread to her chest and arms, and the condition made her the victim of taunts at school and on the street. She even received death threats from strangers over the internet.

But Miss Kaur has now decided to stop cutting her hair after being baptised as a Sikh - a religion in which cutting body hair is forbidden.

She said: ‘I would never ever go back now and remove my facial hair because it's the way God made me and I'm happy with the way I am.
'I feel more feminine, more sexy and I think I look it too. I've learned to love myself for who I am nothing can shake me now.’

During her early teens, Miss Kaur was so ashamed of her beard that she waxed twice a week, and also tried bleaching and shaving. But the hair became thicker and spread - with Miss Kaur feeling so self-conscious that she refused to leave her house. She even began self-harming and she considered suicide.

She said: ‘I got bullied badly - at school I was called a “beardo” and things like “shemale” and “sheman”. I can laugh about it now, but back then it affected me so badly that I began to self-harm because it felt better than all the abuse I was getting.

‘I'd talk to people with a hand over my face and I wore baggy, tomboy clothes to cover up the hair on my chest and arms.
‘I didn't want to go outside my house because I couldn't take the stares from strangers so I'd lock myself in my room. It got so bad that I just didn't want to live anymore.’

But at the age of 16, everything changed for Miss Kaur when she decided to be baptised as a Sikh. It meant she would have to let her facial hair grow out. The decision proved controversial - especially with her family. Miss Kaur said: ‘My mum and dad didn't want me to do it - they didn't think I'd be able to have a normal life if I had a beard.'

'It was incredibly daunting going outside because people would stare more than ever. At first I was angry but I realised that they didn't understand and were probably too afraid to ask me so I just decided to smile back.

Miss Kaur has been employed at a local Sikh primary school as a teaching assistant and her confidence has soared.

She said: ‘I still get shop assistants calling me “sir” and strange looks from people - they see my beard first and realise I've actually got breasts too. It must be confusing for a lot of people.

‘I can laugh about it now - sometimes I say I'm a man and I put on a deep voice to scare other people because it's quite funny to see their reaction.

Despite often being mistaken for a man, Miss Kaur says she feels more feminine than ever - choosing girly tops over baggy, high-necked jumpers.
'I feel more feminine, more sexy and I think I look it too'

She said: ‘I'm able to go out and shop in the women's section without feeling I shouldn't be there. I wear skirts, dresses and jewellery and I like to get my nails done like every other girl.’

Today Miss Kaur hopes her story will help other women find self-confidence. She has decided to share her story on YouTube - and continues to upload videos despite receiving death threats.

(Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ition-causing-excessive-hair-grows-beard.html)
 

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