At four years old, Coral Renaie already felt ashamed of her own body.
In Kansas, United States, a dark patch on her neck led a stranger to tell her to scrub her skin in the bathtub because he thought it was dirty. It was the first of many blows. At nine, she developed thick sideburns, and by twelve she was shaving her face every day, convinced it was the only way to survive polycystic ovary syndrome, which had been changing her body since childhood.
For 16 years, she shaved for other people. Now, at 30, she has given up razors for good, and her beard measures ten centimeters. She receives insults from strangers who take photos of her in the street and ask what she is. But she also has Illias, her 25-year-old boyfriend, who loves her exactly as she is, as well as her mother and nieces, who constantly encourage her. She sums it up simply: it’s just hair, and she finally feels comfortable in her own body.
