AN INSPIRATIONAL Slough woman has overcome bullying and embraced her condition to be recognised in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Harnaam Kaur has been crowned the youngest female with a full beard to be recognised in this year’s book.

The 24-year-old has polycystic ovary syndrome which causes the body to produce more male hormones, which can trigger the growth of excess body hair.

It has led to her growing facial hair and is something she struggled with as she grew up.

She said: “I still get bullied and being a bearded lady I will still get bullied and I will face such negativity in my life, but the difference from now to back then is I know how to handle it. I know that I am way more empowered now than I was back then.

“Puberty was horrible for me. When my body was changing I wasn’t adapting to it as well as I should have. I hated my body and I punished it by self harming and things like that and I would remove my facial hair.

“There were plenty of ways that I tried to remove it, then I decided that I was just going to shave it. I started shaving but the thing was that the hair growth was only around my neck and it grew to this amazing beard.

“The facial hair wanted to stay, it came back with a vengeance and now I absolutely love it.

“I was being bullied horrendously so I thought you have lived by removing it and you were suicidal because you hated your body that much, so I decided to keep my facial hair and thought why don’t you learn to accept yourself and love yourself for who you are.”

Slough Observer:

Her beard has been measured as long as six inches in places, and Harnaam has led the fight against bullying, as well as being a body image activist and becoming the first female with a beard to walk the runway at London Fashion Week in March.

She added: “If people loved and accepted others and loved themselves there wouldn’t be any bullying. If there wasn’t any bullying they would learn to love themselves. Those two work hand in hand for me.

“I never thought the public would react to me as a bearded lady in the way they have and it is amazing and it has been really positive.

“It is very important for me to hold this record to show to younger people that when you grow up there will be people who look different but it is OK to love and accept them too and to learn to love and accept yourself as well.”