In a bold stand against traditional beauty standards, 31-year-old Danish teacher Eldina Jaganjac is challenging what it means to be feminine in today’s world. Living and working in Copenhagen, Eldina has chosen to stop removing her facial hair—including her mustache and monobrow—and is using her appearance as a form of protest against the pressure society places on women to look a certain way. Her choice has made headlines, sparked conversations, and encouraged many others to reconsider the role beauty norms play in their lives.

It was in March 2020 that Eldina decided she’d had enough of the never-ending cycle of plucking, waxing, and shaving. Like many women, she had been conditioned to believe that a hairless face and perfectly sculpted eyebrows were necessary to be considered attractive or even socially acceptable. But the constant maintenance began to feel more like an obligation than a choice, and it didn’t sit right with her. So, she stopped shaving her mustache and allowed her unibrow to grow freely, a decision that marked a turning point in her relationship with her own appearance.

Eldina doesn’t believe that facial hair detracts from her femininity—in fact, she believes quite the opposite. By embracing her natural look, she feels more confident, authentic, and grounded in who she truly is. “I used to feel like I had to constantly monitor and fix the way I looked,” she explained. “If I hadn’t shaved my legs, I wouldn’t go to the gym. If my eyebrows weren’t perfectly tweezed, I’d avoid going out. It was exhausting.”

Since making the change, Eldina has faced her share of reactions, both positive and negative. She shared that men often appear visibly surprised by her appearance, as though she had “a third head.” Yet she doesn’t let those stares or whispers bother her. In fact, she sees her facial hair as a kind of filter—it naturally repels people who judge her based on looks alone and attracts those who value her for her character and intellect.

This, she says, has been especially true in her dating life. Potential partners who are more conservative or focused on traditional standards of beauty tend to be turned off by her unshaven look. But Eldina sees that as a good thing. “It weeds out the people I wouldn’t want to be around anyway,” she said. “The ones who stay are the ones who care about who I am, not how I look.”

She also points out the double standards in how society views grooming and body hair. “A man can walk around with stubble or bushy eyebrows and no one bats an eye,” she told Unilad. “But when a woman does it, people act like it’s some kind of political statement or rebellion.” Eldina believes it shouldn’t be that way. She emphasizes that all women should have the freedom to choose how they present themselves without fear of ridicule or judgment.

Now, instead of worrying about meeting others’ expectations, Eldina prioritizes her own goals, passions, and responsibilities. As a teacher, she focuses on her students, her lesson plans, and making an impact in the classroom—not whether her brows are symmetrical or if her upper lip is hair-free. “When I’m working, I don’t think twice about my appearance anymore,” she said. “It doesn’t affect my ability to do my job or live my life.”

Her message is simple but powerful: women shouldn’t feel obligated to conform to beauty ideals that don’t serve them. If a woman chooses to shave or wear makeup, that’s her choice—but it should never feel like a requirement to be accepted, respected, or loved. For Eldina, letting go of that pressure has been liberating.

In a world that often tells women they’re only worthy if they fit into a narrow mold, Eldina Jaganjac is choosing to live life on her own terms. Her story is a reminder that real confidence doesn’t come from how smooth your skin is or how well-groomed your eyebrows are—it comes from being unapologetically yourself.

As more women speak out and share their journeys, the conversation around beauty standards is slowly shifting. Eldina hopes her decision to embrace her natural facial hair encourages others to reflect on why they do what they do—and whether it’s really for themselves or for the sake of pleasing others. Either way, she’s proud to lead by example, one brow hair at a time.