This Woman Stopped Shaving Her Face and Has Never Felt More Confident
As a teen, Rose Geil struggled with excess facial and body hair. Starting at 13 years old, she began shaving her facial hair daily, but the hair kept coming back. Trying to tame the hair and keep it hidden from others took a serious toll on her self-esteem for years.
“I was a little bit of an outcast at my school, I didn’t fit in, I didn’t wear the right clothes and makeup,” the 39-year-old Oregon resident told the Huffington Post U.K. “My friends did not know; I hid it very well. But it was exhausting trying to keep it hidden.”
She added: “I didn’t realize the emotional impact until I was older. I just thought it was regular teen angst when I was young.”
Geil’s mother eventually discovered her hirsute daughter’s secret. At first, her family ignored the issue, unsure of how to support her, but finally, her mom came around. “My mom was supportive enough and took me to see a doctor,” Geil said, “and I was placed on birth control pills and other medication, but it wasn’t really effective.”
Laser hair removal didn’t help either. Although Geil hasn’t been diagnosed by a physician, she believes it’s a combination of polycystic ovary syndrome — a hormonal disorder associated with many small cysts on the ovaries and excessive hair growth — genetics that are likely to blame.
About eight months ago, Geil finally got fed up trying to fight the facial hair. “I was emotionally drained from trying to hide my beard every day and feeling like I was failing miserably,” she said. Geil decided to let things take their natural course and started growing a beard.
It took six weeks for her to have a full-grown beard, but no time at all for her friends and other family members to embrace and support her, especially once they realized how much hiding her condition was affecting Geil’s self-esteem.
That’s not to say that she doesn’t turn heads while walking down the street. “People on the street do look at me and do a double-take, but their reactions are either positive or neutral,” she said. “I have had people approach me in public and wanted to meet me and shake my hand and tell me I’m brave and courageous and even an inspiration.”
For Geil, growing out her beard lifted a weight off of her shoulders, making her feel more confident — and yes, feminine and sexy too. “I feel pretty with my beard, and I never felt pretty before,” she said. “It feels amazing being me.”
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