<div><p>For seven years, Alma Torres struggled with the impossibly debilitating effects of a society that defines beauty by impossibly narrow standards. </p><p>When she was 16 years old, Torres was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), a rare genetic condition that affects a woman's hormones. In addition to many painful symptoms, the syndrome causes her to grow extra hair on her face, back and chest.</p><p>She spent years trying to hide her condition with plucking or shaving. The time consuming task and maintenance involved was becoming too much, so she stopped.</p><div><figure><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Isabel1323" target="_blank"><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/alma.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/alma_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/alma_GH_content_650px.jpg 650w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/alma_GH_content_750px.jpg 750w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/alma_GH_content_850px.jpg 850w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/alma_GH_content_950px.jpg 950w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></a><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Isabel1323" target="_blank">Alma Torres/ Facebook</a></cite></figcaption></figure></div><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p>Torres tells the <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/young-woman-full-beard-cruel-10242354">Mirror </a>that she decided to embrace her facial hair despite cruel hecklers who told her to "kill herself."</p><p>"I have been called 'ugly', others have said 'I should kill myself'. People have told me 'go wax your ugly a**' and have called me cancer." She says, "people usually don't make comments in front of me. Most are over the internet but I will get stares." </p><div><figure><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Isabel1323" target="_blank"><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/alma2.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/alma2_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/alma2_GH_content_650px.jpg 650w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/alma2_GH_content_750px.jpg 750w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></a><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Isabel1323" target="_blank">Alma Torres/Facebook</a></cite></figcaption></figure></div><p>Thankfully, Torres has the loving support of friends, family and her boyfriend of five years, Taylor. His reaction to Torres revelation that she had a beard was the kind of loving response we should all be so lucky to receive:</p><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p>Alma said: "I told Taylor about my beard when we started dating. I was shaving at this point so there were times he would see me frustrated and help me tweeze it."</p><div><figure><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Isabel1323" target="_blank"><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/alma3.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/alma3_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></a><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Isabel1323" target="_blank">Alma Torres / Facebook</a></cite></figcaption></figure></div><p>Taylor tells the Mirror that it really doesn't bother him: </p><p>"She's still beautiful to me and her beard doesn't define her. It's just hair and it doesn't have anything to do with how a person feels and should never be able to change that.</p><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p>"It's what is inside that matters. It's something that's natural and there's nothing wrong with that."</p><div><figure><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Isabel1323" target="_blank"><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/PAY-YOUNG-WOMAN-EMBRACES-HER-FULL-BEARD-IN-SPITE-OF-BULLIES-AND-HER-BOYFRIEND-SAYS-ITS-BEAUTIFUL.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/PAY-YOUNG-WOMAN-EMBRACES-HER-FULL-BEARD-IN-SPITE-OF-BULLIES-AND-HER-BOYFRIEND-SAYS-ITS-BEAUTIFUL_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/PAY-YOUNG-WOMAN-EMBRACES-HER-FULL-BEARD-IN-SPITE-OF-BULLIES-AND-HER-BOYFRIEND-SAYS-ITS-BEAUTIFUL_GH_content_650px.jpg 650w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/PAY-YOUNG-WOMAN-EMBRACES-HER-FULL-BEARD-IN-SPITE-OF-BULLIES-AND-HER-BOYFRIEND-SAYS-ITS-BEAUTIFUL_GH_content_750px.jpg 750w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></a><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Isabel1323" target="_blank">alma Torres/ Facebook</a></cite></figcaption></figure></div><p>Despite the haters, Alma vows to help others with their insecurities - especially other women with PCOS. </p><p>"I know how other women feel and I just want them to know that I'm there for them and that you can be who you are and you can be beautiful."</p></div>