Promoting body positivity and confidence, a woman in India has been flaunting a mustache for years. stating that she loves it “a lot” despite what others say.

Shyja, 35, lives in the Kannur district of Kerala, India, where she has been sporting a mustache with confidence for years. She first began to thicken her facial hair five years ago after taking a liking for the look. Although she regularly gets her eyebrows threaded, the 35-year-old has never felt the need to remove her mustache.

“All I can say is that I just like it. A lot,” Shyja told BBC.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Shyja was disappointed in having to wear a mask as it hid her mustache. She explained that she cannot “imagine living without it now.”

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Although many people have urged her to remove her facial hair, Shyja has always refused and expressed that confidence does not equate to following beauty standards. When posting selfies on social media, Shyja often receives negative comments making fun of her; however, she never lets them affect her.

“I’ve never felt that I’m not beautiful because I have this or that it’s something I shouldn’t have,” Shyja was quoted as saying. “People make fun of me saying, ‘it’s men who have mustaches, why would a woman have one? But isn’t that about what I like – what to keep and what not to?”

Shyja stated that her family and friends fully support her mustache, and her daughter often says that it suits her well. When internet users direct negativity towards Shyja, her friends often reply to them in anger. Shyja, however, never lets them bother her.

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“In fact, sometimes I look them up to laugh at them,” she said.

Featured Image: BBC / Facebook

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