Written by contributing blogger, Daniela Forte. 

The other day I had asked my co-worker to Photoshop a picture of me so I could post it to Instagram. The reason I wanted her to do so was because I thought my arms were too hairy.

I have lived with too much hair all over my body my entire life… or at least when I hit puberty, which was earlier than other girls at the time. When I was younger I just thought this was me, and it was not easy going through middle school, high school and beyond with all this hair. I was teased profusely in middle school with no idea how to stop it.

I have done waxing and I still do electrolysis to minimize the hair growth on a weekly basis. It wasn’t until I was about 25 years old that I found out I had Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or PCOS as it is more commonly known is a condition in which a woman’s level of estrogen and progesterone are out of balance.

This leads to the growth of ovarian cysts (benign masses on the ovaries). PCOS can cause problems with a women’s menstrual cycle, fertility, cardiac function, and appearance.

There are various medications you can take to decrease the hair growth, the acne, and to regulate your period.

I have dealt with all of this, never really knowing it until I knew. It was discovered because my period stopped coming on a regular basis. Without the proper medication, primarily birth control I don’t get a period.

I can tell you what a significant difference it is when everything is working properly. My face is great; there is significantly less hair on my face (never gone, but manageable). In some pictures I actually look like I am glowing. I just feel like a regular 30-something year-old woman.

You might be wondering why I am sharing all of this very personal and somewhat embarrassing information with all of you? For a while now, probably my entire adult life, I’ve never felt pretty. I always felt awkward and at times just downright ugly. While acne happens to a lot of people, the hair at times has just been out of control.

It made me so terribly unhappy most days and so terribly unattractive to the opposite sex. Of course, men don’t know why they’re looking at a girl with so much hair, (and the fact that I am Italian doesn’t help) all they see is a girl they may not give a chance to, because she doesn’t look like other girls, flawless and hairless. This is just my perception at least, I don’t really know.

There are days I can tell you that I am disgusted when I look in the mirror because all I see are the imperfections. It’s difficult, because you feel so alone and it can cause such a depression.

Then there are the inner emotions of how I feel regularly and that is worthless. I don’t ever feel like I am worthy of love of any kind. Not sure where this all comes from, but this too is terrible to feel on a daily basis. It’s safe to say though, that I am working on this.

I am telling you all of this (particularly women) because I want you to know that no matter what you look like, no matter how gross you feel on the outside and inside you are beautiful.

Here are some thoughts that I think are important to remember:

You Are Beautiful Inside and Out: Beautiful isn’t just about looks, it is about who you are and the kindness you bestow upon others. Beautiful is a good heart that cares not only for oneself, but also for others on a regular basis. No one looks like a super model and no one is perfect. We all have our things; we all have parts of ourselves that we would love to change. I think the biggest thing about being beautiful is accepting who we are as individuals and celebrating that.

You Are Enough: And don’t let anyone tell or make you feel differently. You are enough for you and for the person or people who choose to be part of your life and lift you up. Those that truly care about you will always look beyond the surface and embrace you for all that you are.

Work on It: If there are things about you that you don’t particularly like that can be changed, then change it. Think you could shed a few pounds? Start exercising. Eat poorly? Start eating healthier and you will be guaranteed to feel better about yourself. There are solutions to everything, you can always make changes.

Before You Judge: Someone on what they look like, take a step back. You don’t know what struggles they have on a daily basis, whether it’s physical or emotional. Everyday may be a struggle whether they are dealing with inner turmoil or other aspects of their life.

Be Nice: To yourself. How you treat yourself will set the stage for how you allow others to treat you.   In my own lifetime I have always allowed people to treat me poorly, from family to friends. And it wasn’t until recently that someone told me, how could I expect anyone to treat me well, when I don’t treat myself well? Remember what you allow both from yourself and others is what will continue. Stand firm in being good to you and I promise you, you will be rewarded.

#radiatedaily

Image source – telegraph