It took me 20 years to get a diagnosis of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. During November a lot of people do Movember where they let their moustache grow for the whole month. I decided to raise awareness of the issues people with PCOS face by letting the facial hair that is a symptom of PCOS grow naturally.

This is something I’ve worked very hard to hide, I’ve had Lazer hair removal only for it to grow back. So 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. It may only be a small thing that doesn’t cause pain but it does make me very self conscious.

Donating to my chosen charity helps others with PCOS seek help and improve the chances of an effective treatment. PCOS has my symptoms, weight gain, hair growth (on face and other body areas) hair loss, resistance to insulin, depression, anxiety, severe pain, irregular periods, mood swings, infertility, menopause like symptoms like hot flushes, just to name a few.

I’ve been very open about having to live with PCOS, but not everyone else feels they can be. I hope to raise awareness and that it at least helps one person ask for the help they need to deal with this awful illness.

*now updated with a picture of my patchy facial hair! I will be doing a public shave at Lloyds arms on Sunday 4th December!

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.