There’s no excuse for bullying. Unfortunately, bullies can latch on to even the smallest things to tease their victims about. In these situations, you’d expect your parents to always have your back. Sometimes, that’s not the case. Redditor u/Equivalent_Hour_9905 recently touched on a sensitive topic in a post shared with the r/AITAH online community.
She explained how her niece is constantly bullied at school because she has excessive hair growth on her body and face. The young woman turned to her aunt for help and they went to get her waxed. However, they did so without the teen’s mom knowing, who went ballistic when she heard what happened. Scroll down for the full story. Bored Panda has reached out to u/Equivalent_Hour_9905 for comment. We’ll update the article once we hear back from her.
Excess hair growth is known as hirsutism and it affects about 1 in 10 women
Image credits: Karolina Grabowska (not the actual photo)
One woman shared how she helped her niece who is bullied at school for being ‘too hairy’
Image credits: Karolina Grabowska (not the actual photo)
Image credits: No Revisions (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Equivalent_Hour_9905
There are numerous reasons why someone might have excess hair growth. It’s best to reach out to your doctor to learn more
The excess growth of dark and coarse hair over all areas of the body is called hirsutism and it affects about 1 in 10 women. According to the ‘Better Health Channel,’ hirsutism can be caused (among other things) by polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Also known as PCOS, the syndrome is also linked to irregular menstrual cycles, acne, obesity, infertility, and an increased risk of diabetes, as well as osteoporosis.
Some other reasons for hirsutism can be abnormal growths on the ovary or adrenal gland, excess levels of the hormone cortisol or adrenal gland hormones, or the overproduction of insulin.
Other things that can lead to excessive hair growth include excess production of the hormone prolactin, the use of anabolic steroids, and an underactive thyroid gland. In short, there are many possible explanations for hirsutism, and both genetics and the environment can be said to cause this.
Kids need to know that their loved ones support them and that they can talk about sensitive issues with them
Whatever the case might be, it might be a good idea to go see your doctor about it. They can run a few tests and get to the bottom of things. As ‘Mom Junction’ points out, teenage girls can make some simple changes in their diets to reduce some of the effects of excessive hair growth. For example, they should eat fewer sugary and refined foods, as well as trans fats.
Meanwhile, they should aim to eat more cold-water fish, lean meats, beans, tofu, and healthy oils. Drinking plenty of water and getting lots of regular exercise are also key here.
But let’s not ignore the impact that proper emotional support has, either. Teenagers are going through a lot of changes in their lives and learning about their place in the world. Having their parents, relatives, and friends back them up can have huge positive impacts on their self-esteem.
On the flip side, if they feel that it’s ‘them against the world,’ they might feel confused and frustrated. It’s absolutely essential to sit down with the teen to let them know that you’re on their side. They also have to understand that they can feel free to discuss sensitive issues with you.
The important part here is for adults not to judge the teens and to actively listen to their perspectives. Someone who’s constantly judging and criticizing their kids might soon find that they won’t open up to them anymore.
Bullying needs to be reported as soon as possible
Meanwhile, the core issue isn’t excess hair, per se. It’s bullying at school. As ‘KidsHealth’ notes, bullies do what they do due to a wide range of reasons. For some, treating others poorly is a way to feel better about themselves. For others, it’s a way to reclaim control because they’re inflicting the same pain on others that they’ve received themselves.
Though it’s important to understand why someone is bullying others, it doesn’t make them less responsible for their reprehensible actions. Nobody should ever be made to feel bad for how they look.
Bullying needs to be reported to the school ASAP. Preferably, with some evidence to back up the claims if possible so that things don’t turn into a ‘he said/she said’ situation. This is the moment when family and friends ought to show their unconditional support for the victim. Closing ranks like this can give teenagers a huge boost of confidence and help them develop the emotional resilience to stand up to bullies in the future.