I’ve had to shave my beard for 15 years because of a crippling condition docs can’t control – I don’t care who looks
A WOMAN suffering with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has revealed that she used to worry about people looking at her beard – but doesn’t anymore.
Torri Sunshine was diagnosed with PCOS when she was experiencing heavy periods at 13-years-old.
The 33-year-old has bravely divulged the rollercoaster she has gone through over the last 20 years.
Taking to Tik Tok, she said that she has seen “so many doctors and specialists” about the condition.
Torri recalled on getting her diagnosis: “They were like, ‘oh yeah, you have this thing called PCOS’.
“And they stuck me on birth control and that was it.”
The Florida, US-based content creator started getting facial hair around 15-years-old which started a routine of daily shaving.
She said: “In high school, I started getting facial hair.
“It started with two little patches but they weren’t that noticeable.
“I could just shave it and didn’t even have to wear make-up – like, you couldn’t tell.
“The facial hair only got worse after high school… it actually peaked out in my early twenties and was just as bad as it is now.”
Torri added that growing a beard was “a nightmare” and she used to be “so down on herself” when it first grew in thick.
She reflected: “When I think about that now, it makes me so sad because I love myself so much now.
“I know I’m such an awesome person.”
The influencer shares her story on social media to normalise the symptoms of PCOS and show other women it doesn’t stop them from being beautiful.
She believes that seeing someone else with the condition and proud of their beard when she was younger would have “meant the world to her”.
To break free from shaving, Torri tried out laser hair removal on her face.
However, it didn’t work and caused hair to grow on her upper lip – somewhere it had never grown before.
She is now using a handheld “zapper” to gradually dull the hair follicles in her face.
Through candidly sharing her PCOS journey, Tori has totted up a loyal following of 130,000 people on Tik Tok.