A lady who began growing a beard as a teenager is now proud of her facial hair.

Dakota Cooke, 30, who uses both the pronouns she and they, first observed aberrant hair growth on her face when she was 13 years old.

She was self-conscious about her hair growth and struggled with anxiety for ten years.

Dakota was in a lot of pain, from weekly waxing appointments to shaving her face twice a day.

Her beard grew from peach fuzz to a longer, darker beard.

“I grew up at a time when women with facial hair were so stigmatised that the women at the salon told me how females aren’t meant to have facial hair,” she told the Daily Star.

“I guess that stuck with me because for the next 10 years, I kind of just sunk into this shame spiral where I’d try and hide my face in photos and be attending waxing sessions every week,” she explained.

Dakota undertook various tests, but doctors were unable to determine the reason for her facial hair. They believe it is related to her adrenal glands releasing high levels of testosterone.

Shaving frequently caused scars and sores on her skin, which she concealed with makeup.

Dakota was requested to perform in a circus show by one of her friends in 2015. She was drawn to the concept of playing a bearded lady in the production and abandoned razors and waxing.

However, the shift was not without difficulty. She was self-conscious about her beard. She eventually got tired of being worried about it.

“My family and friends have been super supportive throughout my journey of self-acceptance and have even bought me a ‘Don’t f*** with the bearded lady’ sign, which I love,” she said.

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