A bearded woman! The concept might seem weird, but it’s a real-life fact for some. A woman who can grow excessive facial hair is known as a bearded woman.
According to studies, one out of every 14 women has hirsutism, a condition that causes excess facial hair. Some women may find it shameful and struggle throughout their life to hide it. Then are the daring women who overcome their fear, and not only reveal their beard and embrace it, but become inspiration for other women with a beard.
Most Famous Bearded Women
Learn about the lives of those inspiring ladies who prove that having a female beard is not shameful at all.
1. Vivian Wheeler
Beard is part of my body that’s why I don’t shave it.
Vivian Wheeler is a bearded woman who struggled a lot in her entire life. She was a hermaphrodite when born but doctors removed her male organs with the consent of her parents. Despite that, she continued to grow her female beard even at the age of five.
Her father used her as a money bank by sending her to circus shows, never realizing the troubles Wheeler faced. She performed in sideshows for many years and holds the Guinness World Record for having an 11 inch long beard as a woman. “I used to shave my beard because of the low self-esteem of people around me.” After the death of her mother, she stopped shaving and embraced it.
2. Rose Geil
With a beard, I feel more confident, sexy and feminine.
Rose Geil, a girl with a long beard who first noticed her facial hair at the age of 13. At that time she had low self-esteem and kept this secret hidden even from her family. She used to wear full sleeves, awkward makeup, and dressing in hiding her excessive hair from her schoolfellows. Rose tried many treatments and taken various medicines in order to get rid of her beard, but then she realized that beard is actually her confidence.
Rose then started to embrace her female beard and accepted the real her after that. She said that the people around give her the most confidence as they admire her courageous nature and a huge number of people follows her on social media platforms due to her strong self-esteem and motivation.
3. Jennifer Miller
Hair symbolizes the power. If I didn’t keep my beard, it would be a statement of hopelessness.
Jennifer Miller is the bearded lady who occupies huge achievements in her career life. She is a writer, actor, performer, director, and professor. Her famous books are the golden racket, cracked ice and the jewels of the forbidden skates. She is a professor of performance at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn. She has received many awards such as Bessie, Obie, and Ethyl Eichelberger. Jennifer is also the director of circus amok.
4. Harnaam Kaur
I love my female beard. It shows that we all are different. I will cherish my beard forever as it has opened those doors for me that led me towards the destination of body positive activist.
Harnaam Kaur is an inspirational girl with a beard who is a British model, motivational speaker, and anti-bullying activist. She had faced a lot of bullying and taunts by her schoolfellows and people in her surrounding for almost seven years. She got beaten by people several times and was so depressed at that time that she did serious suicidal attempts. Then a time came in her life, despite all the heart-wrenching bullying and comments, she did not loss her confidence.
Now she believes, “your differences are what’s needed for this society to flourish! So shine with all of your bright light.” She uses harsh comments from people as motivation.
5. Bear Schwarz
I have an extremely feminine beard. It expresses my intense womanhood.
Bear is a performer at sideshows, writer, opera singer, and spoken word artist. She noticed her female beard growth at the age of fourteen. She was so uncomfortable about it that she tried every method to remove her facial hair permanently.
After sixteen years of regular shaving, she decided to embrace her female beard after winning the beard competition. She also decorates her beard with stylish ribbons. She named herself ‘little-bearded bear.’ She never paid attention to people’s harsh comments and their questions about her gender.
6. Balpreet Kaur
When I die, no one is going to remember what I looked like … and slowly, all physical memory will fade away. However, my impact and legacy will remain: and, by not focusing on the physical beauty, I have time to cultivate those inner virtues.
Balpreet Kaur is a Sikh woman who does not shave her facial hair in accordance with her religion’s beliefs. Unfortunately, the person who took a photo of her and publicly shamed her on Reddit in 2012 didn’t know this and was promptly put in their place.
Balpreet turned this into a learning opportunity for all individuals unaware that women can have facial hair and the Reddit user did finally apologize to Balpreet. She proudly shows off her female beard on her Instagram.
7. Gennevieve Vaillancourt
I feel more confident than I have ever felt with my beard. When I wasn’t able to be my true self and I was hiding away, I was filled with so much anxiety.
As a teenager, Gennevieve was bullied for her facial hair growth and ashamed at having to shave every other day. Later on, she was relieved to learn there was a reason for her beard: polycystic ovary syndrome. Gennevieve is now 34 years old and a mindset coach who says her family – specifically her son – is her inspiration in being a bearded lady.
8. Peekaboo Pumpkin
When you’re a female with facial hair, you learn to love yourself differently.
Although her real name is unclear, Peekaboo Pumpkin is celebrated by her fans for her bearded self love. She is another bearded lady who has polycystic ovary syndrome and utilizes all types of social media platforms to flaunt her beard love and show other bearded women they don’t need to hide.
9. Adriana Javier
Keeping my beard, in my mind, is a big middle finger to a society and system that has marginalized those of us who do not conform.
Adriana Javier, 34, tried shaving, waxing, and plucking, and even considered electrolysis or laser hair removal as she struggled with excess facial hair growth. She also tried numerous medications. A visit to her doctor revealed she had polycystic ovary syndrome. Coming out as queer gave her the confidence to embrace her differences in every way.
10. Mariam Dadgar
I’m very grateful for having a beard.
Mariam Dadgar is a palm and psychic reader. She’s also a performer at different sideshows and circuses. She got her first female beard after the birth of her son. Her mother didn’t support her beard growth and the people around her would laugh and stare at her with shock. She used to pluck her chin hair with tweezers, but eventually her facial hair started to grow darker. Inspired by pictures of Jennifer Miller, Mariam decided to embrace her beard.
11. Nova Galaxia
It is not scary for being hairy.
Nova is a young girl with a beard, now known worldwide for her bravery. At the age of fifteen, her beard started to grow. She faced a lot of bullies and cruel comments from her class fellows. She was embarrassed to have facial hair but later her embarrassment turned into embracement. Nova got her inspiration from Harnaam Kaur (A British model with a female beard) and decided to grow her beard after thirteen years of regular shaving.
12. Annalisa Hackleman
After embracing my beard, I feel more womanly, free, and confident. It is true that I do not like my beard but I have accepted it as it gave me more self-awareness and self- esteem.
Annalisa is a brave bearded woman who proved that a woman can look beautiful even with a long beard. She is a professional photographer. Her beard started to grow at the age of thirteen. She got depressed and wanted to stay at home for most of her time. She underwent several laser treatments for her hair removal but soon realized that it’s a battle for a lifetime.
After embracing her beard in public she got many death threats via emails but she did not bother any of these threats and people’s trolling. She always encourages other women to embrace their natural beauty even when she is struggling to appreciate herself too.
13. Kore Bobisuthi
The comments of people bother me but I do not let these comments to let me down. Yes, I grow a beard that is what who I am.
Kore is a bearded lady from Portland. She’s a courageous mother who made the very hard decision of embracing her beard and showing it to the world, despite being bullied. She was followed and shouted at, and had no option but to hide in any store that came in way. “I [had] to prepare myself for bullying before leaving home.” She won a bearded competition that built her self confidence.
14. Jessa Olmstead
“I want to be able to reach out and touch folks to let them know, hey, whatever is weird or odd or strange or whatever you think makes you a freak, celebrate it. Everyone has their beard. Wear it well!”
Jessa the bearded lady! The below comment has been made by Jessa and we would love to quote what she says for our audience:
It started growing when I was 11 or 12. I only really started with freak Show wrestling in Las Vegas and then being picked up for the television show which I later started working for. I attained great Fame in my twenties by becoming ‘Jessa the bearded lady‘. Almost all of this was a complete accident and happenstance and discovered a life and Heritage and Rich history that I had the great honor of being part of therefore continuing the conversation for a brighter tomorrow for others with my condition.
15. Alma Torres
I grow my lady beard only to encourage other women who are facing the same issue as I am.
Alma Torres is a photographer who got her female beard at the age of 16. She used to shave her facial hair regularly, even three to five times a day. She stopped going to school to prevent herself from bullying.
People used to call her cancer, ugly, and told her to kill herself. She underwent facial piercing to distract from her lady beard, but grew tired of shaving her beard constantly and decided to embrace it.
What Are The Reasons Behind Women’s Beards?
There are several things that can cause beard growth in women. Some of the major causes are:
Hormonal Imbalance
The major reason for women’s beard is hormonal imbalances that occur due to the large production of a hormone known as androgen. Excess production of androgen in females is caused from a high level of insulin.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
The other reason for excessive androgen is the PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). It causes excessive hair and beard growth in females. In this condition, a number of cysts surround the ovary leading it to produce more of the male hormone androgen.
Heredity
In some ladies, beard growth does not occur due to any disease or disorder. It occurs because of the heredity. You can read the Darwin theory of heredity for better understanding.
Excessive Medicines
Some medicines like minoxidil that are taken by women for high blood pressure can cause beard growth.
Tumors
Ovary and adrenal gland’s tumor can also cause androgen production which ultimately leads to beard growth.
FAQs
According to science, it is not rare for women to have facial hair, but it is rare for women to have a beard. A female beard is largely due to hormonal imbalances and health issues like polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Women with thick facial hair growth often resort to medicinal measures to prevent facial hair growth. There are certain medications that a physician can prescribe to help a woman with this.
Using laser hair removal is the most common and effective way to remove a female beard. A woman could shave her beard or use an epilator, but lasering is most effective. With this and medication, women can mitigate beard growth.
We hope these ladies inspired you with their bravery. All use their beard to promote awareness of POS and are admired for their courage and self-confidence. As educated, responsible beings, we should teach others to accept those who are different.