October 31, 2022 6.00 pm This story is over 20 months old

Woman embraces facial hair effect of medical condition for Movember

Raising awareness and money for charity

A woman in Grimsby has decided that instead of removing facial hair caused by a medical condition she will embrace it to raise awareness and money for Movember.

For more than two decades, Jennie Stevenson struggled with the pain of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, but it took 20 years for her to get a diagnosis. One of the main symptoms of the condition is excess androgen – high levels of “male” hormones in the body which may cause physical signs such as facial or body hair.

Jennie did have laser hair removal previously, only for it to grow back, and she decided “rather than hide it I’ll let it grow for the full month of November to let others know just one of the many symptoms those with PCOS have to live with.”

Jennie Stevenson. | Screenshot: BBC Look North

She has already surpassed her initial fundraising target of £200, but says it is just as important to raise awareness as money – make a donation here.

Jennie told BBC Look North: “It actually started off as a joke with my friend Tracy at work. We were talking about (how) it sucks to be a woman, all the things we have to deal with, and on top of that I have to deal with my facial hair.

“I said if I was a man Id be able to just let it grow for Movember like they do. She was joking saying ‘you should do it’ and then I said ‘actually why not, let’s just do it and get the message to other people that it’s okay’.”

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