Every woman I know has a complicated relationship with body hair.
Some of it you’re supposed to cultivate and maintain, like your eyebrows or the hair on your head. The rest of it, meanwhile, is seen as shameful, and we’re collectively encouraged to shave, laser, or wax it off.
It’s pretty tough to keep track, not to mention an impossible battle to win — hair just keeps on coming back, no matter what you do.
It’s even more complicated for women who struggle with polycystic ovary syndrome, often shortened to PCOS.
PCOS is a hormonal disorder that causes cysts to develop on the ovaries, but also has a wide range of side effects, including weight gain, acne, and excessive body hair.
For women who have PCOS, the side effects can take a major toll on self-esteem and body image.
But now, the one in 10 women diagnosed with the disorder have a new hero, one who is willing to stand up and show the world what the daily struggle with PCOS really looks like — starting with her facial hair routine.
This is Tina-Marie Beznec, an Australian blogger who writes Fight against Fat about health and weight loss.
She is known for her own weight loss journey; she lost 80 pounds, starting in 2013, through a combination of diet, exercise, and clean living.
At her heaviest, Beznec tipped the scales at 220 pounds, and she attributes a lot of her weight gain to PCOS, which can cause obesity.
Now, she helps other women who struggle with PCOS specifically, or with more general body image issues, to see weight loss through a body-positive lens.
Instead of advocating for fitness fads or crash diets, Benzec's platform is good, old-fashioned healthy eating and exercise.
She's a great role model for women looking to combat the side effects of PCOS for a healthier lifestyle.
Of course, Beznec does much more than simply showcase weight loss strategies. She's also a huge advocate for PCOS awareness.
Instead of looking at the syndrome as something embarrassing, she's loud and proud about every side effect — even the embarrassing ones.
Currently, she's making waves on the internet for posting this extremely candid shot of her face-shaving routine to remove unwanted chin whiskers and mustache hair.
She initially snapped the photo series in order to share it with Constance Hall, a blogger and author that tackles many of the challenges women face every day, from body image to motherhood and everything in between.
Hall picked up the photo collage, and it quickly began to skyrocket across the internet, buoyed by Beznec's caption on the subject, which details the challenges of living with PCOS every day.
Read Beznec's words for yourself below!
Hi my name is Tina and I have Polycystic ovary syndrome. As well as depression, anxiety, infertility, weight gain, hormonal imbalances, bloating, abdominal pains, acne, cysts, increased risk of cancer and everything else, a lot of woman including myself have to deal with facial hair!
Do you know how UNFEMININE this can make a woman feel?!? I’ve always been super self conscious about it, but really just have to put this out there because I want create more awareness around this syndrome and how much it can impact someone’s life especially if they don’t know they have it.
When you see someone who is overweight, has bald patches, or a woman who has facial hair DO NOT JUDGE
You never know what a person is going through and it’s unfair to put someone into the “lazy and unhealthy” category without knowing their story. I know it’s only natural for some of us to judge someone based on how they look but remember we are all fighting our own battles and you can never understand if you aren’t willing to learn and listen..
If you think you may have Polycystic ovary syndrome please don't be afraid to reach out and seek medical advice, it's a hard battle but the sooner you get diagnosed the sooner you can manage your symptoms
If you love hearing Beznec's awesome and inspirational take on body positivity and pausing before judging, make sure to SHARE her words and spread the word about PCOS!
