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Severe Hirsutism.
I have severe Hirsutism.
That means, I have a significantly greater amount of body hair than the average female. I experience Hirsutism everywhere, from my face, to my toes, and fingers. It consists of thick, dark, and dense hair growth.
Hirsutism is a deeply stigmatised condition in our society. I developed Hirsutism as a result of polycystic ovarian syndrome, at the age of 10. Since then, I have been dealing with it. I have used waxes, epilators, Intense Pulsed Light therapy, threading, shaving, depilatory creams, and laser treatments to reduce and permanently remove the amount of hair on my body.
Hirsutism comes with immense stigma and shame. I have dealt with stares, judgmental comments, people who have openly questioned my inability to take care of myself, and bullying. Most people attribute Hirsutism to an inability to take care of oneself, rather than a chronic medical condition that requires constant treatment over a long period of time.
People around me have often wondered why I haven't treated all of my Hirsutism yet, completely. They repeatedly fail to understand the hormonal cause of Hirsutism. It is a consequence of hyperandrogenism, specifically of elevated testosterone production. Treating Hirsutism permanently means being able to take extensive hormonal medication over a long period of time, in years.
I have felt deep shame at being the target of people's misguided stigma around Hirsutism. It has made me feel like less of a human being. I have felt judged and mocked for having Hirsutism, and have been dealing with immense stigma. I now feel that it is high time to destigmatize Hirsutism in women, particularly that caused by polycystic ovarian syndrome. Without this, our society will remain unaware of the massive amount of work it takes to actually treat Hirsutism over a long period of time.
I am now treating Hirsutism, and believe that anyone with Hirsutism should not feel ashamed, or have to apologise for having this chronic condition. It is a medical and not an aesthetic condition, that requires long term treatment from an endocrinologist, gynaecologist, and dermatologist. It requires medication to suppress androgen production, extensive dietary changes, and even different, multiple hair removal techniques. It does not require judgment and shaming.
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