A brave woman has spoken out about her body confidence after enduring years of cruel trolls taunting her for having a beard.
Fighting against societies beauty standards, Becca Wilks has been suffering with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) since the age of 14, and with the condition came the unwanted hair across her face, chest, arms, hands and legs.
The social media influencer from Birmingham has been faced with cruel comments since school, and felt like she never had a PCOS role model to look up to growing up whilst struggling with low self-confidence. Once stealing her mum's razor and giving herself a facial burn, now aged 28, Becca has decided to accept her beard after years of suffering and is no longer hiding her symptoms in a bid to become a role model.
"The hair on my neck, legs and chin has stood out since I was just 14." Becca explained. "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 claimed doctors had "ignored" her symptoms of PCOS for years, including extreme period pain, ovarian cysts, fluctuating weight gain, and fertility loss. She also suffered at school, being forced to wear a uniform leaving her skin "in pain and itching" from the tights and trousers that would "grip" the hairs.
But, despite the difficulties Becca has faced, she has a positive outlook on her future – and her hair growth, she now regularly posts on her TikTok becoming a social media star. She added: "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 who compliment her for her vulnerability, 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 showed off her shaving routine leaving fans in awe. One person said: "You are beautiful", while another wrote: "Thank you for sharing and being so vulnerable You will be just fine".
A third commented: "I have pcos too sis. This video gave me confidence thank you", and another added: "You are brave and beautiful! Thank you for shining a light on PCOS".
Do you have a story to share? Email Niamh.Kirk@reachplc.com
