A woman who has battled hirsutism since she was a teenager has stopped shaving her facial hair to grow a moustache in aid of Movember. Until now, Siobhain Fletcher 36, from Leek, Staffordshire, has shaved every other day to keep the hair at bay. But after being inspired by a friend who was growing a moustache for Movember to raise money and awareness for prostate cancer charities, Siobhain decided to embrace her facial hair.
Siobhain, who has so far raised over £700 for prostate cancer, has suffered from excessive hair on her face since she was 17, when she first noticed whiskers appearing on her upper lip. By the time Siobhan was in her early twenties, she was forced to trim plentiful stout whiskers from her lip and chin every other day.
She was frequently mistaken for a man, and was on the receiving end of cruel taunts about the hair on her face. For five years she was housebound, and her confidence plummeted so low that she felt unable to face people. 'I had such low self-esteem,' she tells Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield on This Morning. 'I used to clip it off with scissors, and dress very androgynously. I got stared at a lot and got mistaken for a man. It took its toll. Even though I was pretty, I didn't feel like that. I tried to say stuff [when I was bullied], but you know, obviously, at that age...' 'The only time I left the house was to go and see my horses,' she said. 'They don't care what you look like, as long as you've got food.'
Her skin is very sensitive, making waxing impossible - on one occasion, the hot wax removed Siobhain's skin along with the hair - and besides, an element of regrowth is necessary to make the waxing treatment effective. Electrolysis proved ineffective, as the treatment can only remove 10 to 15 hairs at a time - Siobhain's hair was just too thick. 'It didn't work - the hair grows up my cheeks as well,' she said. 'It was like trying to fell a tree in a forest.' Siobhain says she cannot afford costly laser hair removal and, despite suffering from depression as a result of her condition, her GP cannot offer such a treatment on the NHS. She initially had no idea what was causing the hair growth until she was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome - a condition that can cause hirsutism, as well as irregular periods, weight gain and difficulties conceiving - in 2000 when she sought medical help after struggling to get pregnant. The hair growth associated with PCOS is caused by an excess of testosterone - and the condition can be treated with hormone therapy. But women who want to get pregnant cannot be treated with testosterone, making it very difficult for them to keep it under control.
Now, by joining in with Movember, Siobhain has decided to face the issue head on. 'It was a spur of the moment thing,' she says. 'My friend came to me and said he was growing a moustache and told me about Movember. I said – "I’ll do it with you." 'I've had overwhelming support so far. My sister's initial reaction was to offer me £50 not to do it. My friends agreed with her - but only because they were worried about negative reaction. 'I said "I'm doing it anyway" - I'm stubborn and pig-headed. And it's gone from a comment on Facebook to the local papers - and now I'm on television.
'This isn't a sideshow. It's to raise awareness of men's cancers. To stop families losing a family member. And to help people with self-esteem issues to say, "it doesn't matter". 'People look as beautiful with facial hair as without it. People are neurotic about it - but I want them to see they can get out there. It's not as bad as they think.' Siobhain told Holly and Phil that after years of removing her facial hair, it has been liberating to let it grow. 'I would leave it after Movember, except that it's itchy,' she said. 'I'm not used to it. I've been contacted by a lady who runs a course for children aged 12 and 13 who have self-esteem issues. I'm going to leave a bit of growth when I go to see them, to say to them - look at me, I'm doing it.'
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