Why this woman with PCOS is finally embracing her beard

Alma Torres was only 16 when she found out that she has polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) — which caused her to gain weight, have severe abdominal pain, irregular periods and grow facial hair.

Now, at 24 years old, Torres has embraced her facial hair – and just last August she began to grow it out, despite society’s pressure to look like the women she sees in magazines.

“Having the beard has made me… a better person. I feel more confident and I want to encourage other women with PCOS to feel the same,” she tells the Daily Mail. “I know how other women feel and I just want them to know that I’m there for them and that you can be who you are and you can be beautiful.”

While she has received negative comments both online and offline, Torres attributes her newfound confidence to her facial hair, recognizing that negative criticism from others is often a result of someone else’s insecurity.

ALSO SEE: This bearded model just made history by killing it on the catwalk

“I think everybody has their own insecurities and when they don’t feel good about themselves they try to hurt other people to try to make themselves feel better.”

Depression, anxiety, ovary pain, infertility and coarse facial hair are all symptoms of PCOS, which affects 6-10 per cent of women in Canada. When Torres was diagnosed in 2009, she struggled to understand the condition.

“When I was first told, I started crying and I thought it was a really bad thing. They said the word ‘disease’ and I thought it was really bad until I did my own research,” she says.

As the coarse facial hair started to grow in, Torres began plucking and shaving regularly to avoid being bullied. When she first started dating her current boyfriend five years ago, she was consistently removing her facial hair. After years of frustration, Torres decided to stop shaving and grow the hair out.

“I told (my boyfriend) Taylor about my beard when we started dating. I was shaving at this point so there were times he would see me frustrated and help me tweeze it… when I started to grow it, I looked at him and asked ‘babe, what if I grow my beard? Would it bother you?’ His answer was ‘nope, it’s just hair. That’s normal.'”

ALSO SEE: What’s it really like to be a bearded woman?

Unfortunately, she says her boyfriend’s positive reaction isn’t the norm.

“I have been called ugly, others have said I should kill myself. People have told me to ‘go wax your ugly a–’ and have called me cancer,” she explains.

“People usually don’t make comments in front of me. Most are over the internet but I will get stares… I’ve noticed people trying to take pictures of me but I just laugh and smile. I know it’s not a big deal so I’m okay with it.”

While the experience has been challenging, Torres is proud to spread her own message of positivity for others living with the condition. She encourages others living with PCOS to embrace their bodies and natural beauty, regardless of society’s standards.

“I want to tell other PCOS sufferers that this is who you are… if you want to change it then it’s fine but if you feel comfortable, then don’t change. I don’t want to change… I’m happy with the way I am.”

Yahoo Canada has reached out to Torres for comment.

Let us know what you think by tweeting @YahooStyleCA.