My husband left me after I started growing facial hair – now I love it and refuse to shave

My husband left me after I started growing facial hair – now I love it and refuse to shave

A woman whose husband left her after she suddenly grew a moustache and beard now feels empowered by her facial hair and refuses to shave it off.

Mandeep Kaur, 34, from Punjab, India, and her ex tied the knot in 2012 – and she thought she had found her true love.

But a few years into the marriage, as her appearance began to change, he showed his true colours  and fled. 

After being unceremoniously dumped, Mandeep spiralled into a depression – but she sought help and quickly came to accept her facial hair. 

Since embracing her appearance, Mandeep has also turned her hand to farming work alongside her brothers. 

For years Mandeep Kaur from Punjab, India, anguished over the beard and whiskers - but has now come to see it as just another part of her

Mandeep Kaur, from Punjab, India, revealed how her husband left her after she suddenly grew a moustache and beard  (left, before, and right, now)

She sought help for the stinging feeling of rejection and turned to spirituality.

Mandeep started attending a gurdwara – a place of worship amongst Sikhs where those who follow the religion can learn the basics of their faith.

They are generally run and managed by volunteers.

The best-known gurdwaras – which roughly translates to ‘Door to the Guru’ – are situated in Amritsar, the second largest city in the state of Punjab.

Mandeep also says that she has been blessed by Guru Granth Sahib – Sikhism’s sacred scripture, which is also revered as a living concept within the culture.

It is thanks to her faith that she has learned to accept her facial hair despite it driving her ex-husband away.

For years she anguished over the beard and whiskers – but has now come to see it as just another part of her. 

Channelling a newfound confidence, Mandeep now refuses to shave it off and wears her fully-grown beard with a turban. 

Mandeep (pictured centre) started attending a gurdwara ¿ a place of worship amongst Sikhs where those who follow the religion can learn the basics of their faith

Mandeep also says that she has been blessed by Guru Granth Sahib - Sikhism's sacred scripture, which is also revered as a living concept within the culture

Mandeep (pictured centre) started attending a gurdwara – a place of worship amongst Sikhs where those who follow the religion can learn the basics of their faith

Channelling a newfound confidence, Mandeep now refuses to shave it off and wears her fully-grown beard with a turban

Channelling a newfound confidence, Mandeep now refuses to shave it off and wears her fully-grown beard with a turban

Since embracing her appearance with confidence, Mandeep  has also turned her hand to farming work. Pictured with her brother Dhanveer Singh

Since embracing her appearance with confidence, Mandeep  has also turned her hand to farming work. Pictured with her brother Dhanveer Singh

Women growing thick dark hair on areas they usually aren’t known to – such as the face, neck, chest or thighs – is called hirsutism.

The NHS advises seeing a GP if this is a problem for you, as a treatable medical condition could be behind it.

Hirsutism is linked to androgens – a group of hormones.

The most common cause behind the atypical hair growth is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This can also cause acne and irregular periods. 

Other more rare causes of hirsutism may be the use of certain medicines and anabolic steroids.

Elsewhere, other hormonal conditions like Cushing’s syndrome and acromegaly may be to blame.

The NHS also lists a tumour affecting hormone levels as a possible cause. 

Mandeep now proudly shows off her facial hair and wears a turban, despite struggling with her appearance in the past

Women growing thick dark hair on areas they usually aren't known to - such as the face, neck, chest or thighs - is called hirsutism

Mandeep now proudly shows off her facial hair and wears a turban, despite struggling with her appearance in the past

Mandeep was left depressed after her husband left, but is now embracing her fully bearded appearance

Mandeep was left depressed after her husband left, but is now embracing her fully bearded appearance

The farmer has also now taken to wearing a turban and is feeling less anguished over her facial hair

The farmer has also now taken to wearing a turban and is feeling less anguished over her facial hair 

What is Hirsutism and why does it happen?

Hirsutism is excessive hair growth in certain areas of the body that mainly affects women.

It’s relatively common and often a long-term problem, but there are a number of treatments to control it.

The excessive hair in hirsutism is usually thick and dark, rather than fine and fair and develops in areas where men often have hair, such as the face, neck, thighs and buttocks. 

It may also cause additional symptoms, such as oily skin, acne, a deep voice, irregular periods or no periods at all.

Hirsutism is caused by an excess of male hormones called androgens in the body, or by the body being more sensitive to these hormones.

In many cases, it’s not clear why this happens. Some women just seem to develop extra hair growth as they get older, particularly after the menopause.

In younger women, the most common cause is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition that can cause irregular periods and fluid-filled sacs (cysts) on the ovaries.

Source: NHS