Woman shows off 4-inch beard after ditching razor to boyfriend's delight
A woman who first started growing facial hair at the age of just nine-years-old has decided to ditch the razor.
Coral Sanchez, now 29, has shaved her face every single day for the last 16 years, but is now embracing her "beautiful" 4-inch beard.
Having first spotted a hair on her chin as a child, Coral felt forced to start shaving every morning from the age of 12 due to vile bullies.
In a bid to hide her facial hair, which is caused by a condition known as hirsutism, Coral would "layer" her face in foundation as stubble would grow back by early afternoon.
To stop people seeing her growing beard she "wouldn't let anyone get close", to the extent that she even managed to keep it a secret from an ex she dated for four years.
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Coral Sanchez is embracing her "beautiful" beard (SWNS)
She used to cover her face in make-up (SWNS)However, life completely changed for Coral after she battled homelessness at the age of 26 and was unable to keep shaving every day.
Coral, who lives in Seattle, Washington, US, started to question why she was doing it in the first place and decided to bin the razor.
She stopped shaving altogether in March 2022 and has now been growing her beard out for a year and feels "truly beautiful".
Her supportive partner of nearly four year, Illias Clark, 25, reassured her she was "beautiful" and that it her body "doing this naturally".
"I think I started shaving because it like that was what I was meant to do," explained Coral. "It encouraged me to hide.
"I would notice other kids making comments about my bushy side burns. They got really recoiled from you and disgusted by you. That sucks as a nine year old to feel that shame.
"I would shave every morning when I woke up and by 2pm in the afternoon I had stubble growing on my face.
"I would layer on full coverage foundation and put my hair down around my face.
"It took my a really long time to really embrace my hair growth. Now I look in the mirror and smile and feel genuinely beautiful."
Coral would have stubble by the afternoon (SWNS)
Coral has got some beard accessories (SWNS)Coral first waxed her face before turning to shaving aged 12, which she continued to do everyday until she was 26.
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She has polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition that affects how the ovaries work and causes her hirsutism – the excessive growth of dark or coarse hair in a male-like pattern.
"The older I got the harder it was to reapply full coverage to hide the hair growth because of work settings," said Coral. "People would stare but wouldn't say anything."
She even kept her condition a secret from a previous long term partner - even waking up before him every day to cover up.
"He never once saw me without make-up on," she revealed. "I would get up before him to shave every day. I felt hidden."
Coral lived in her car for a period when she was 26 and didn't have access to a shower or bathroom to shave every day.
She said: "I would do what I could shaving in the car. I was getting defiant about shaving. It was painful."
Coral doesn't want to hide anymore (SWNS)
Coral got support from her partner and friends (SWNS)Coral met her partner Illias in July 2019 through a dating app and felt instantly "comfortable" around him.
Unlike her previous relationships, she felt at ease to open up to him about her facial growth.
"It took me a couple of months but it was really hard to hide things," she explained.
It felt natural to tell him. He said - 'It doesn't bother me. You're beautiful and your body does this naturally'."
Coral credits Illias' support to helping her embrace her natural beauty, adding: "He kept saying 'why don't you let it grow?'
"I worried and thought – 'you're not going to love me anymore.' "But he really encouraged me to stop shaving.
"It kind of hit me. I don't want to hide anymore. Why am I allowing other people to take control in my life?"
Coral has finally ditched the razor (SWNS)
She feels a lot more confident (SWNS)Coral finally stopped shaving for good in March 2022 and was "surprised" at how well her beard suited her.
She said: "It was shocking seeing my face and that I was still able to feel feminine.
"I was really surprised at how much I liked it. It felt like it fit on my face.
"My partner likes to run his fingers through it. He admires my beard.
Coral has now grown a 4-inch beard and want to help other embrace themselves.
Heartbreakingly, she still faces looks of "disgust" and stares but knows it's just their opinion".
"You can still be beautiful and feminine with a beard," she said. "I want to help others embrace how they look.
"I feel truly beautiful."
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