FacebookA woman with a hormonal condition which causes her to grow a beard has stopped shaving her face and accepted her facial hair despite trolls telling her to commit suicide.
24-year-old Alma Torres was just 16 when she was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) a hormonal condition that causes women to grow excess hair on their face, back and chest along with other symptoms.
Alma spent years plucking and shaving her beard to hide her condition but has now begun to grow it out in an effort to convince other women with the condition to be confident in their appearance, The Mirror.
In the past Alma was labelled ugly by others and told to kill herself because of her facial hair especially over the Internet however despite the taunts Alma says she’s okay with it.
She said:
I think everybody has their own insecurities and when they don’t feel good about themselves they try to hurt other people to try to make themselves feel better.
I have helped a lot of people feel good about themselves, we need more girl power. Having the beard has made me such a better person. I feel more confident and I want to encourage other women with PCOS to feel the same.
I know how other women feel and I just want them to know that I’m there for them and that you can be who you are and you can be beautiful.
One person who agrees with Alma is her boyfriend Taylor who supported her decision to grow the beard after he saw her struggling with it. He described it as ‘just hair’, saying it doesn’t bother him because it’s completely natural adding that it’s what’s on the inside that counts.
PCOS doesn’t just cause Alma to grow facial hair, it also gives her irregular painful periods as well as anxiety and fatigue.
Those suffering from the condition often have issues concerning fertility although Taylor and Alma remain confident that they will push through this and become parents one day.
Alma said:
The infertility is difficult but me and Taylor have spoken about it. Hopefully God will give us our miracle one day. We can’t give up just yet.
She added she hopes her actions will convince others suffering from PCOS that if you want to change then it’s fine but if you feel comfortable then you don’t have to change.
More of a concept than a journalist, Tom Percival was forged in the bowels of Salford University from which he emerged grasping a Masters in journalism.
Since then his rise has been described by himself as ‘meteoric’ rising to the esteemed rank of Social Editor at UNILAD as well as working at the BBC, Manchester Evening News, and ITV.
He credits his success to three core techniques, name repetition, personality mirroring, and never breaking off a handshake.