Hope Schmerfeld suffers from hirsutism (Image: Jam Press/@quantaluma)
A mum who once felt overwhelmed by embarrassment about her facial hair has shared how she came to accept her beard — and says she now feels “more powerful than ever.” Hope Schmerfeld struggled for years with insecurities caused by hirsutism, a condition that leads to excessive hair growth in women, often linked to hormonal shifts and genetics.
For much of her life, the 45-year-old believed she had to hide her beard and went to great lengths to remove it. “It was a source of shame which created insecurities within myself,” Hope, from Oklahoma City, USA, said. « My relationship with my body hair was not positive.
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Hope Schmerfeld has decided to let her beard grow (Image: Jam Press/@quantaluma)
“I used to get electrolysis, wax, pluck hairs out of my face and shave. »
She told What’s the Jam: “It was a daily thing throughout most of my life because there’s so much and it grows fast.”
Hope, who works with laser machines and also teaches pole dancing, said her facial hair has complicated her search for love.
Although her closest friends knew about her condition, she avoided telling men she dated.
She explained: “In regards to any possible intimate relationships, it is a problem.
Hope Schmerfeld would spend hours plucking hair all over her body (Image: Jam Press/@quantaluma)
“I’m a straight woman, and most straight men aren’t attracted to it. I understand and respect that.
“However, I have been fetishised by both men and women through online platforms.”
She first noticed the hair at 14. As it spread to her chest, nipples and stomach, she would spend hours plucking each strand.
After giving birth to her daughter, Aurelia, now 19, the hair growth intensified. She sought medical advice and was formally diagnosed in 2015.
Hope even concealed it from partners, who would question why she spent so long in the bathroom. At times, she shaved twice a day to keep up with regrowth.
In 2019, following a breakup, she decided to stop removing her hair and embrace her natural appearance.
While her family, friends and colleagues have remained supportive, she says online reactions have been harsher.
“I have and still do receive a lot of criticism and shaming from people in the online community,” she said.
“But I absolutely love my hair now.
“I have no regrets when I allow my beard to grow out.
“I finally feel comfortable in my own skin and I accept me fully.
“I don’t receive the criticism and shaming that people throw at me anymore.
“I’m standing in my power and will continue to do so.”
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