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A woman with a beard that needs shaving twice a day has been trolled by someone who cruelly compared her to the bearded Eurovision Song Contest winner Conchita Wurst.
Mother-of-two Cheryl Monks, 32, was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) at the age of 12.
She suffers from excessive hair growth on her face as well as other areas because the condition affects the balance of hormones in her body.
Cheryl Monks has polycystic ovary syndrome which causes her to grow a beard which she shaves twice a day
But she was left deeply hurt after she woke up on Sunday morning to an anonymous Facebook message containing a picture of bearded drag queen act Conchita Wurst, saying: ‘Did you see yourself on television last night? Can you see the resemblance?’
Ms Monks said she burst into tears when she saw the message and now doesn’t want to leave her home due to fear of further abuse.
She said: ‘It hit me - it was more than a shock. When I saw it, I just felt like lying down and giving up.
‘I watched Eurovision on Saturday night and I had turned my phone off.
‘When I turned it on on Sunday morning I saw the message but by this time whoever sent it had blocked me so it doesn’t say who it’s from.
After Saturday's Eurovision Song Contest, Ms Monks received a message on Facebook comparing her to the competition's drag queen winner, Conchita Wurst, who has a beard
Ms Monks says that when she saw the message comparing her to Conchita Wurst (pictured) she burst into tears and that she now does not want to leave her house
HOW DOES POLYCYSTIC OVARIES CAUSE EXCESS HAIR GROWTH?
Polycystic Ovaries Syndrome (PCOS) is the main cause of excess hair in women.
Estimated to affect 10 to 15 per cent of women, PCOS is when the ovaries don’t work properly and are covered in small cysts.
As a result, eggs are released erratically or not at all, causing irregular or missed periods, and often reduced fertility and acne.
One of the most common symptoms is a high level of male hormones (androgens), which leads to hair growth.
All women produce androgens. However, sometimes women produce higher levels, or they may have normal levels, but their hair follicles are more sensitive to androgens.
'If excess hair is due to a hormonal imbalance, then it tends to occur in areas such as the chin, upper lip, sideburns, chest and inner thighs,' says Dr Rina Davison, an endocrinologist from Whipps Cross University Hospital, London, with a special interest in excess hair.
'These are areas of the skin that are more sensitive to testosterone.
'The hair is also likely to be coarse and dark.'
Given the implications for fertility, women worried about excess hair should see their GP, advises Steve Franks, professor of reproductive endocrinology at Imperial College, London and an endocrinologist at St Mary’s and Hammersmith Hospitals, London.
'There may be other problems to investigate,' he suggests.
'Often, excess hair is a symptom of PCOS, but it also can be indicative of less common, but potentially more serious, hormonal disorders, or tumours of the ovary or adrenal gland - the two parts of the body that produce testosterone.
'Many, if not most, GPs will take the problem seriously and refer to an endocrinologist if appropriate.
'Women should not be afraid to ask for a referral to a specialist.'
Estimated to affect 10 to 15 per cent of women, PCOS is when the ovaries don’t work properly and are covered in small cysts.
As a result, eggs are released erratically or not at all, causing irregular or missed periods, and often reduced fertility and acne.
One of the most common symptoms is a high level of male hormones (androgens), which leads to hair growth.
All women produce androgens. However, sometimes women produce higher levels, or they may have normal levels, but their hair follicles are more sensitive to androgens.
'If excess hair is due to a hormonal imbalance, then it tends to occur in areas such as the chin, upper lip, sideburns, chest and inner thighs,' says Dr Rina Davison, an endocrinologist from Whipps Cross University Hospital, London, with a special interest in excess hair.
'These are areas of the skin that are more sensitive to testosterone.
'The hair is also likely to be coarse and dark.'
Given the implications for fertility, women worried about excess hair should see their GP, advises Steve Franks, professor of reproductive endocrinology at Imperial College, London and an endocrinologist at St Mary’s and Hammersmith Hospitals, London.
'There may be other problems to investigate,' he suggests.
'Often, excess hair is a symptom of PCOS, but it also can be indicative of less common, but potentially more serious, hormonal disorders, or tumours of the ovary or adrenal gland - the two parts of the body that produce testosterone.
'Many, if not most, GPs will take the problem seriously and refer to an endocrinologist if appropriate.
'Women should not be afraid to ask for a referral to a specialist.'
‘It’s an incredibly cruel thing to do, my family are really angry. I just wanted to curl up and disappear.’
Ms Monks, who is in remission from cancer as well as suffering from PCOS, says she believes the person who sent the message must know her.
She believes the person who sent her the message was one of her Facebook friends.
She thinks the person blocked her as a friend after sending the message.
If someone does this, their message will no longer show their name and profile picture, but will appear to have been sent by 'Facebook user'.
She said: ‘I figure it has to be someone I know who is aware of my condition and that makes it even harder to understand.
‘I do a lot of singing and karaoke so I think that is another reason why they’ve drawn a comparison between me and the Eurovision winner.
‘It’s ridiculous because we don’t even look alike.
‘I find it really upsetting that it’s probably someone I see around the town.’
Ms Monks, who spends more than £2,000 on razors every year, says it is not the first time she has suffered abuse.
She said: ‘As long as I can remember, I’ve had people say horrible things to me. It’s a constant struggle.
‘I think people don’t understand the condition and so they have a go at me through ignorance.
‘It has made it so much harder to come to terms with it and a couple of years ago I even tried to commit suicide.
‘In the last year I’ve come a long way and I’ve grown in confidence but this has really set me back.
‘At the minute I don’t want to leave the house because I’m so worried people are laughing at me, but I have to go to work to provide for my kids.
‘My kids have even been bullied in the past because of my condition.
Ms Monks said: 'At the minute I don't want to leave the house because I'm so worried people are laughing at me but I have to go to work to provide for my kids'
Ms Monks is trying to raise enough money to pay for laser hair removal treatment
‘I’ve been learning to accept myself for who I am but this just shows how little people understand my illness.
‘People should judge a person by who they are, not what they look like.
HOW WAS MS MONKS SENT THE MESSAGE?
Ms Monks believes the person who sent her the message was one of her Facebook friends.
She thinks the person blocked her as a friend after sending the message.
If someone does this, their message will no longer show their name and profile picture, but will appear to have been sent by 'Facebook user'.
‘The person who sent this is real scum and they need to grow up and get a life, it’s just ignorant and shameful.’
Ms Monks, a shop assistant from Morecambe, Lancashire, has constantly campaigned for treatment for herself and others whose lives are blighted by the condition.She is currently saving towards the £10,000 needed for laser treatment at a private clinic to remove the excess hair.
Ms Monks set up the inspiration foundation forum and support group on Facebook, which currently has 7,000 girls and women with PCOS as members.
Bearded drag act Conchita Wurst, who secured Austria’s first Eurovision win in 48 years, pledged to promote tolerance as she received a jubilant welcome home to Vienna on Sunday.
The singer, whose real name is Tom Neuwirth, was greeted at the airport by more than 1,000 fans, some wearing painted beards and singing the winning anthem Rise Like a Phoenix.
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