Despite being told she looks like a ‘MAN,’ this woman is embracing her body hair and beard and even lets others stroke it.
Artist, journalist, and creative entrepreneur Bethany Burgoyne (30) from Essex, UK, has been embracing her body hair since 2018. Like many other women, Bethany was pressured into shaving her body hair whilst growing up, believing that her body should fit certain ideals set by society.
At the age of 27, Bethany began to question these ideals – especially why she was ridding of her body of hair and whether this was something she was doing for herself or others. She began to embrace her leg and armpit hair and slowly, she realised how absurd the idea of hair removal was.
Bethany grew proud of her body hair and has since embraced it in other areas of her body. No longer caring what others think, in early 2020, Bethany ceased removing her chin hair and allowed the hairs on both her chin and neck to grow freely. Some called Bethany a ‘man’ and told her she ‘needed a shave’ but she isn’t put off by these detractors and now has a three centi metre long beard.
When she was 29-years-old, Bethany discovered she had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) – a hormone imbalance that affects around one in every 10 women worldwide. The condition can cause abnormal hair growth but instead of worrying about the extra removal, Bethany began sharing her story online, under the handle @bxsassy, to show other women that it’s okay to be hairy.
Bethany came across the online hairy fetish community
During this time, Bethany came across the online hairy fetish community and grew fond of how the community celebrated hairy women. She went on to establish her own body-positive and sex-positive workshop called The Sassy Show. Bethany runs sensual circles and stretching classes to encourage others to embrace their bodies without shame.
Attendees open up to Bethany about their insecurities and she’s even shared intimate moments with similar-minded people who enjoy stroking Bethany’s body hair as she believes touch – with consent – can reinforce pride and confidence in others.
Bethany advises those who worry about their body hair to focus on feeling safe, secure, and beautiful in their own bodies. By showering yourself with compliments, Bethany assures that before long, you’ll truly believe it.
“For a couple of years, I put my attention on questioning and unlearning what I’d been taught about female body image,” Bethany said.
The pandemic led to Bethany deciding to start embracing her body hair
“It was thanks to the pandemic and being in the privacy of my own company that I started to grow out my chin hair.
“I felt safe to do this without the judgement of others seeing me. The more I looked and touched the hairs on my face and neck, the more I realised that they were a gorgeous part of me and that I could feel good and proud of my appearance.
“I want women to recognise how they can be spending their time and money on far more important things in life – that their self-worth and wonder should never rely on fitting the suffocating ideas of female appearance that we are sold.
“A large part of my work is running body-positive and sex-positive workshops for The Sassy Show,” Bethany said.
“I have been piloting private sensual circles and stretching classes that encourage people to embrace their bodies and their desires openly, without shame.
“Through platonic massage and supportive conversations, people have respectfully shared and shown their love of hair on human bodies.
“It’s such a small thing really, but because as a society we constantly tell people they need to change their appearance to be deemed attractive, our self-worth becomes warped.
“These workshops have reinforced my confidence and pride in my own skin, as well as being able to be open to letting others enjoy what they see and, with consent, touch.
“By sharing my appearance transparently, on the streets as well as online, I want women to know there is nothing abnormal about having a luscious amount of hair growth.
“Accepting and growing my hair has allowed me to let down my wall of insecurities and defensiveness. This has not only meant that I can be completely myself around those I love and care about, but I also have so much more fun.
Also read: How do I slim down, naturally? – Part 1
