Women’s Empowerment Coach & Speaker Gennevieve Vaillancourt (39) from Ontario, Canada realised something was different about her when at 18 she had never had a menstrual cycle.



She has always had thicker hair than others growing up, but at 14 she started to develop facial hair, it started with thick sideburns and a moustache, which over the course of about ten-years became a beard.



Gennevieve was initially embarrassed by her hirsutism, because, she insisted, as a teenager it can be hard enough to fit in without the added pressure of facial hair.



Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that affects how the ovaries work.



Symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome include irregular periods, facial hair and difficulty getting pregnant.



The main treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome is medicines for things like hair growth and irregular periods. Keeping a healthy weight also helps.



It's not clear what causes polycystic ovary syndrome, but it's thought to be linked to hormone problems.



She tried everything to hide the hair, shaving, waxing, plucking but the hair always came back and this caused Gennevieve to feel like she didn't fit in socially and isolate herself.



It took years for Gennevieve to accept her hirsutism and what ultimately got her there was advocating for others with the condition.



She met her friend and parenting partner Marty Robitaille (age 49) on a blind date setup by a mutual friend in 2007.



They were married in 2010 and currently live as friends and co-parenting their children together so that they have one home base. They have an incredibly supportive relationship with one another.



Gennevieve now proudly wears her beard and is raising two children, a daughter Emma (18) that she is a step mother to and a son Duncan (4) that she gave birth to, proving how she battled her PCOS to fulfill her dream of being a mother.



“I’m not sure if you ever really “overcome PCOS”, once you have it, you have it but, I did learn how to manage it well, and I overcame fertility struggles related to PCOS,” said Gennevieve.



“I did this by calming my nervous system to decrease stress, focusing on my mental health and using diet and exercise to help regulate my menstrual cycles, blood sugar levels and hormones.



“I also shifted my mindset, to start believing that my body could conceive and carry to term a healthy child. I conceived my son via and at home insemination using donor sperm without the help of fertility experts.”



PCOS and its side effects have plagued Gennevieve for most of her life, she noticed her first symptoms at 18.



“The hair was the first symptom for me and the absence of my menstrual cycle until I was 18,” said Gennevieve.



“After that I had maybe one or two cycles naturally a year, with some years having none at all. In addition to hirsutism, the symptoms I have experienced are weight gain, insulin resistance, mood swings, thinning hair and difficulty getting pregnant.



“I was always a child with thicker body hair than others, and my facial hair started developing around the age of 14 or 15.



“It started with dark sideburns and a moustache and progressed from there over the course of ten years.



“When the symptoms began, I felt really confused and embarrassed. I was ashamed and angry at my body for growing hair.



“I tried everything within my power to hide the hair and what was happening to my body which caused a lot of stress and anxiety for me for many years.



“As a teen, I felt like I didn’t fit in with other girls and women who had smooth faces, so that caused me to self-isolate a lot.”



Although she initially struggled with her symptoms, Gennevieve has learnt to manage her PCOS and even embrace her hirsutism.



“The number one thing I do to manage my PCOS is minimise stress in my life. This has helped me to lower my cortisol levels, stabilise my blood sugars and have better mental health,” she said.



“It also helped me to have a successful pregnancy. Some other things I do are; eat mostly low carb and high protein meals, limit sugar intake, get regular sleep to combat fatigue and prioritise my mental health.



“I learned to embrace hirsutism by focusing on my mindset and bringing my awareness to the ways in which women are judged negatively for things that men aren’t judged for at all, especially related to our bodies and hair growth.



“I thought about all the men around the world who wake up daily with facial hair and body hair and go about their lives, without it making much of a difference at all, and I considered all the women out there feeling ashamed, hiding their hair, spending hours a week and thousands of dollars a year trying to remove it.



“I let myself get angry about how much shame we carry as women around things that naturally happen to us because we have human bodies.



“I thought, “I’ll show them, I’ll learn to love all of the parts of myself equally” and that’s what I’ve done.



“My goal at first was to work on my mindset so that I could be kinder to myself. I had no idea I would end up falling in love with all of the parts of myself I’d been taught to hide and find true self acceptance, and that’s been the best surprise of my journey.



“Now I get to use my framework and everything I’ve learned to support the women I work with and those who attend my events. Accepting my hirsutism and my beard have profoundly changed the quality of my life and career.”



Gennevieve began advocating for others, and as a part of this shared her own journey online to very positive reviews.



“When I first shared my story online I shared it in a couple of social media groups for women. I shared a photo of me and a small story about PCOS and my beard, and I received HUNDREDS of comments from women cheering me on, sharing their support, calling me brave, beautiful and courageous,” said the mother of two.



“I was blown away by the support, and it helped me to shift from feeling afraid to be seen to feeling brave for showing up authentically.



“Some of my favourite comments are from other women who have PCOS or hirsutism who share their own story with me.



“There are a lot more of us than we realise who are experiencing similar challenges and it helps to be reminded that we are not alone in our experiences.



“99.5% of the feedback I have received since growing out my beard has been incredibly positive.



“I’m very grateful to live in Canada, and it makes me feel proud to live here knowing that I can go grocery shopping with my family, walking on nature trails and out in our community without feeling afraid of other people’s reactions.



“I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the positive reactions I get from people who see me and ask questions. I get a lot of smiles and women telling me they would grow their beard out if they had one too.



“Online I get a lot of support and positive feedback, especially from women.”



Of course there are occasionally hurtful comments but Gennevieve has learned to just move past them.



“I move past any hurtful comments I receive by reminding myself that my beliefs about myself and who I am are more important than anyone else’s opinions of me,” she said.



“Most of the time people who comment negatively are shining a light on their own insecurities and programming, so I remind myself of that. I think, “what’s the most loving thing I can do/say now, for me and for them?” and I do that.



“The most hurtful thing I have been told was actually about my PCOS; when I was first diagnosed the doctor told me I probably wouldn’t be able to conceive a child.



“This broke my heart and haunted me for most of my adult life, because I had always wanted to be a mum and it instilled doubt in my mind. Every missed period, failed attempt or miscarriage over the years enhanced that fear.



“I wish Doctors would stop telling PCOS patients things like this, because it simply isn’t true anymore and it robs us of our hope. It was difficult for me to have a healthy pregnancy and I experienced some losses, but I eventually had my son.



“I spent years hiding my beard and grieving the possibility that I may never conceive a biological child, and those missed years and lost hope had more of a negative impact on my life than any comments I’ve received about my beard.”



Gennevieve works as a Women’s Empowerment Coach and Speaker online and part of it is hosting virtual events for women and speaking at women’s empowerment events virtually.



She hosts a Virtual Hairy Ladies Night on the second Monday of each month. It’s a safe space for women to go to break through isolation, build their confidence and connect with like-minded women for free, from the comfort of their own homes.



Gennevieve wants to encourage women on the PCOS and hirsutism journeys.



“Talk about it with people you trust, it doesn’t have to be a secret,” she said.



“Seek a supportive community of women who “get it” because it’s difficult to navigate alone and much easier when we know we have a community around us who are on similar journeys.



“Instead of focusing on all the things your body isn’t doing, bring your awareness to what it IS doing and become your body’s biggest cheerleader.



“Focusing on your mindset and mental health has the potential to change your life and greatly improve your PCOS and hirsutism.



“If I can do it, so can you.”



ENDS