A woman with a “beard” is determined to fight back against beauty standards saying cruel trolls constantly taunt her — but she “loves her hairy chin”.
Influencer Becca Wilks, from Birmingham, has been dealing with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) since the age of 14, and with the condition came unwanted hair across her face, chest, arms, hands and legs.
Faced with cruel comments from school peers and lacking PCOS role models to look up to, the 28-year-old grew up with low self-confidence, and would often hide her symptoms.
Pictured: Becca loves her hairy chin. (Credit: Jam Press)
But after years of suffering, she has decided to accept her beard and has become a social media star with over 72,000 followers across TikTok (@_theali.house).
“The hair on my neck, legs and chin has stood out since I was just 14,” Becca told NeedToKnow.co.uk.
“I remember using my mum’s razors and hair remover cream without her knowing – one time the cream caused a nasty burn.
“The leg and neck hair were the worst, the pain of the ingrown hairs and the constant rapid hair growth made me feel so self-conscious.
“The negative feedback was really hard for me when I was younger.
“I used cheap make-up products [to cover up] but it didn’t work as hair would literally poke through it.
“At 18, I accidentally cut my neck while shaving and everyone at my sixth form noticed the cut, that’s when I finally reached my breaking point.”
Becca claims doctors “ignored” the symptoms of her PCOS for years, which also include extreme period pain, ovarian cysts, fluctuating weight gain, and fertility loss.
She also suffered at school, being forced to wear the mandatory uniform with tights and trousers “gripping” hairs on her legs, leaving her skin “in pain and itching”.
But, despite the difficulties Becca has faced, she has a positive outlook on her future – and her hair growth.
Pictured: Becca Wilks. (Credit: Jam Press)
She said: “Sometimes I now let my hair grow for up to three weeks when I am super busy.
“There are bigger things in life and I think my hair growing long on my neck is not one of them — and If I am not bothered, I do not care about the opinions of others.
“PCOS is a part of me, but it does not define me and is not defined by the negative thoughts of others.
“When I want to shave I use a sensitive skin face wash and razors.
“Then I continue with the rest of my skincare routine.”
Becca, who has built an online community of like-minded women, is sharing her story in the hopes that it will help others and help women feel less ashamed about facial hair.
She said: “Some people have told me I gave them the confidence they need to go out without make-up and made them feel less alone.
“Sharing my story has been a form of therapy for me, too.
“I am on a journey of expression, and being my most authentic self, I want to bring awareness and make people understand that having hair does not mean a woman is imperfect.”
In a recent TikTok, which has 35,900 views and over 1,950 likes, Becca proudly shows off her shaving routine.
The video has left social media users in awe, complimenting her for being “vulnerable”.
One person said: “You are beautiful”.
Shav wrote: “Thank you for sharing and being so vulnerable You will be just fine”. [sic]
Another commented: “I have pcos too sis. This video gave me confidence thank you”. [sic]
Nik wrote: “You are brave and beautiful! Thank you for shining a light on PCOS”. [sic]
Sarah added: “I have pcos too, thanks for sharing this. You are a beautiful woman. God bless you”. [sic]
