I spent £51k removing my face & body hair but now I embrace it – people mistake me for a man but it’s not worth the agg
A WOMAN who spent £51,000 removing her body and facial hair has now decided to embrace it – despite being mistaken for a man.
Bethany Burgoyne started waxing and shaving when she was just 10-years-old after feeling self-conscious about her body hair.
The 33-year-old struggled with thick dark hair growing on her stomach, chin and nipples as she hit puberty.
She would spend around £250-a-month waxing, epilating and bleaching to remove it for 17 years.
Aged 27, she began saving up for laser hair removal to the tune of £2,000.
But Bethany soon realised there were plenty of other things she’d rather spend that money on – such as travelling.
She slowly found the confidence to stop shaving and now feels “confident” embracing her “beautiful” body hair.
The London-based journalist and podcast host still gets comments and stared at by people “confused” by her gender but doesn’t mind.
“If a woman has hair, it’s deemed unattractive,” she said.
“Wherever I go I will get one comment from someone like, ‘how come you are so hairy? Are you a man or a woman?’.
“When can we get to a point to see women as being hairy?
“I love my beard – it’s growing back and it’s lovely.
“I feel the most confident I have ever felt in my life.”
Bethany noticed she had “hairy legs” in primary school and as she got older, she developed thick pubic hair, a moustache and chin hair.
“I felt encouraged to get rid of my hair,” she recalled. “Aged 18, I got hair on my chin.
“From 18 to 25, it got a lot darker and stronger; it was growing more and more.
“I was waxing, epilating, shaving and bleaching, but it became very sad for me.
“I didn’t feel confident in my natural body.”
Bethany began sharing her story on social media which in turn gave her the confidence to grow out her body hair.
She even went on Channel 4 show Naked Attraction to advocate for feminine hairy bodies, as well as ITV’s This Morning.
“I grew my leg hair, my pubic hair and I rocked it,” she said.
“Leg hair can grow into its own beautiful pattern. It’s like your head hair.”
Bethany believes her abnormal hair growth is down to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), although she hasn’t had an official diagnosis.
The condition affects one in five women and has an impact on how ovaries function.
It occurs when the sacs the ovaries sit in are unable to release an egg, which means ovulation doesn’t happen.
Excessive body hair is just one symptom of the condition, which also causes irregular periods, difficulty getting pregnant, hair loss and oily skin.
“My symptoms line up but my blood test said I didn’t have it,” Bethany said. “There is little research on PCOS.
“The assumption is it’s linked to PCOS but it’s different for every individual.”
Bethany wants to help others embrace their natural bodies and ditch feelings of shame surrounding it.
“I really enjoy seeing people responding to my body,” she said. “People say ‘I wish I could go out and not shave my legs’.
“You can! You just have to do it and take it day by day.
“I’m advocating for hairy women.”