Woman shares face-shaving photos to raise awareness of her condition
You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who'd happily send pictures of themselves shaving, but for Australian woman Tina-Marie Beznec, 26, it's all about raising awareness of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
"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 [sic] including myself have to deal with facial hair," she wrote on Facebook.
Fitness blogger Beznec shared an image of herself shaving with fellow blogger Constance Hall on Sep. 10 with the aim of getting it shared more widely.
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"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," Beznec said.
"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."
PCOS is a condition whereby a woman's ovaries are bigger than average, which results in high levels of insulin or the male hormone, androgens, or both.
According to the Victorian Health Department, PCOS affects 12 to 18 percent of women of reproductive age. 70 percent of these cases remain undiagnosed, which is why Beznec wants women to seek medical advice.
"It's a hard battle but the sooner you get diagnosed, the sooner you can manage your symptoms," she wrote.
