Dancers saved

Three dancers in the St Petersburg Classic Ballet who got cut off by the tide in Jersey were rescued by lifeboatmen just in time for that night’s performance. A WOMAN who used to shave her entire body because of excess hair growth has ditched the razor.

Leah Jorgensen, 33, has polycystic ovary syndrome, a hormonal disorder which can cause hirsutism – abnormal, male-pattern hair growth.

But two key experiences have led her to end decades of trying to conceal her body hair.

In an echo of the bearded lady who sings This is Me in the film The Greatest Showman, she is now happy to allow the hair to grow – and has even been happy to go out in public in a bikini.

Leah, from Madison, Wisconsin, suffered agonies from the age of 14 when she was branded a “man” by bullies. In her 20s, she spent hours removing the thick, dark hair all over her body.

She feared people getting close to her, which resulted in her not having her first kiss until age 27 and avoiding the dentist for 12 years.

She said: “My daily goal for a long time was to just get through the day without anyone noticing how hairy I was.

“I felt ashamed, embarrassed and scared, like I was somehow less of a woman.

“It gets hot and humid here in the summer and I would wear hoodies year round so I would be drowning in sweat.”

In December 2015, Leah was hit by a car as she crossed a road and she was taken to hospital.

Paramedics cut her clothes off and during her treatment, people saw the extent of her hair growth up close for the first time.

She said: “I realised no one cared what I looked like, they just saw me as a person. It helped me to get over it.”

Around that time, Leah also connected with a man who found her attractive, body hair and all. She is no longer in a relationship but said his attitude helped to make her feel better.

Leah, who now shares her photos with 2500 followers on Instagram, also quit her job in insurance to return to college and is now studying social work.

She said: “I hope that sharing my story will give others courage.”

Leah is part of a project called Underneath We Are Women.

To read more about it, visit www.underneathiam.com and to follow Leah’s story, find her on Instagram @happyandhairy.