At 19 years, Nelima noticed a strand of hair on her chin and a few months later, two other strands had grown. She had never in her life seen a woman with a beard. She was embarrassed, scared, and confused.
She wondered whether this was at all normal. She talked to her big sister Nazra about the hair, her sister advised her to shave them off. She swiftly trimmed them with a razor and hoped they wouldn't grow back.
Unfortunately, after the trim, the strands grew back and this was followed by the growth of several other strands. This really affected her self-esteem.
To most people, only men grow beards and it is considered abnormal for women to have a beard.
So, is it normal for a girl or woman to grow a beard?
Yes.
Facial hair just like all body hair is completely natural. The difference is that some women and girls simply have more of it than others.
Hirsutism is the growth of hair on a female's back, chest, or face in a pattern some may consider masculine.
4 reasons some women grow beards
Trans women may have a beard because they have higher levels of male sex hormones than cis women. Those who have had laser hair removal stop new hairs from growing and/or reduce the volume of the beard.
Hormonal health conditions like Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) can cause hirsutism
Genetics because women of certain ancestry or families are more likely to have more body hair with no identifiable cause than other women.
Obesity is also known to increase the production of androgen which can cause hirsutism
Traditionally, beauty standards dictate that women's faces shouldn't have hair to be attractive. This notion is changing as more and more girls actively embrace their mustaches and beards as an important part of their unique identities.
So, if you are a girl with a beard out there, have self-love and acceptance. This can help you avoid the need to have an expensive procedure or take tabs to remove the beard. Yet, if you'd like to have hair removal procedures, talk to your doctor.
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