Kerala Woman Says She Can’t Imagine Living Without Her Mustache

A woman named Shyja gets her eyebrows threaded but never thought of getting rid of her upper lip, even when 5 years back it started to get thickened. She says it never made her feel less beautiful.

Shyja, 35, a regular mother of one living in the Kannur district of Kerala expresses her love for her mustache in her Whatsapp status. While most people make fun of it, she told BBC, "All I can say is that I just like it. A lot,".

Growing up Shyja was a shy kid in a village that restricts women from going out of their home after dark. But once she got married and moved out with her husband to a neighbouring place. She started enjoying her freedom of being alone and venturing into local places. It changed her perspective as she added, “I learnt to do things on my own, it built my confidence.”

Kerala Woman With Mustache

As per reports, Shyja has gone through tough times with her health, she has undergone 6 surgeries in the last decade. Overcoming such crises has only made her stronger and live her life on her own terms. She said that when 5 years ago her upper lip hair started to thicken, she embraced it as a part of her identity rather than removing it like any other woman would choose to. She says, "I've never felt that I'm not beautiful because I have this or that it's something I shouldn't have."

During the pandemic when wearing masks was mandatory she was sad because she was reportedly forced to hide her mustache from the world. She is aware of the hate and criticism she receives from people on the internet and elsewhere but she doesn’t let it affect her. "I just do what I like. If I had two lives, maybe I'd live one for others," she says.

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Her family and friends support her with her choice of flaunting her mustache. Her daughter has told her that she looks great in it.

Harnaam Kaur, an activist is also a Guinness World Record holder for being the youngest woman with a full beard. She used to be bullied for her appearance for years. At 24, when she grew her beard, she flaunted it to the world and takes pride in it as she tries to break the societal beauty standards of women.