Dear Body / 02 INTERVIEWEE
XIAOXIE Diagnosed with PCOS in 2022. Now working in administration. Her relationship with her body has been shaped by the fear of an incurable condition, and her gradual realisation that managing stress means removing its source.
When did you first realise that something was not quite right with your body? I had experienced periods that would not completely stop before. They would sometimes continue beyond seven days, perhaps lasting around ten days. But the time I was diagnosed, it went on for about three weeks, so I went to the hospital for an examination.
Do you remember what happened when the doctor gave you the diagnosis? That time, my period had lasted for about three weeks. I went to the hospital, and the doctor told me I had PCOS. I took Chinese medicine for a while, but I am not receiving treatment now because my period is currently relatively regular. What was the first thing you thought when the doctor said the condition could not be cured? I thought I had developed something extremely serious, almost like a terminal illness. Hearing the words “cannot be cured” made me assume it must be severe. My mother was also worried that I might not be able to have children, so I did feel frightened at that moment. When did the fear you felt after the diagnosis begin to change? Later, I looked up more information and discovered that many people have PCOS. There were also people around us with similar experiences who were still able to have children, although they sometimes needed to regulate their health first. 1
After learning this, I realised it was not as frightening as I had initially imagined, and that many of the problems could be managed. Has PCOS changed the way you see your body? Not very much. I do not hate my body because of PCOS. The most troublesome par t is still when my period drags on and refuses to end. As long as it comes normally and does not last long, I feel okay. What did you do when you realised that stress was affecting your body? My way of dealing with stress is to cut off the source of the anxiety. My previous job was putting me under a lot of pressure, so I changed jobs and moved towards a healthier way of living. Looking back from the fear you felt at diagnosis to where you are now, what has changed the most? When I first found out, I thought I had developed a very serious illness. Later, I learned more about it, discovered that many people have PCOS, and realised that many of its effects could be managed. Gradually, I became less afraid. Now, what matters most is keeping my life and my stress within a range that I can manage.
Xiaoxie / External voices
Maybe when I hear you singing I feel myself returning I feel myself returning When the darkness pulls me down your songs bring me back again I found something very important to me in this process
I know I’m healing
With the group
2
Dear Body / 02
When I was working on my final project, I was also looking for a job and trying to find my place in adult life. Everything felt uncertain, and the pressure gradually built up. Later, I began teaching. Teaching art was manageable, but when I started teaching English—something I was less confident in—and became responsible for my students’ results, the pressure became much heavier. During that period, my period became irregular again. My way of dealing with stress is to cut it off at the source, so I changed jobs. I now work in HR and administration. The job can still be busy, and I sometimes feel annoyed when my manager suddenly gives me more work, but the pressure feels more manageable. I no longer carry the same responsibility for my students’ results. If I cannot finish something today, I can continue tomorrow. 3
Xiaoxie / External voices
4
Dear Body / 02
5
Xiaoxie / External voices
The most troublesome part of PCOS is when my period continues after seven days. Having to keep wearing a liner is inconvenient. I also worry that if it lasts too long, it might affect my health. 6
Dear Body / 02
When I saw my hair falling out, I was not especially anxious. I know this is a symptom of the condition. I mostly felt powerless, because the hair was already gone and I could not immediately bring it back. I was thinking about how to make my hair healthier and stop it from continuing to fall out. It feels better now, and my hair has become much smoother.
7
Xiaoxie / External voices
8
Dear Body / 02
I have always had hair above my lips. On my arms. On my legs. At first, I did not care. Then puberty made comparison familiar: My hair was darker, longer, more visible than the other girls. They noticed. They gave me names. I started to see my body through their looking. Turning something natural into something I was expected to hide. 9
Xiaoxie / External voices
“Then others won't see the long hair on my hands and legs.” I like wearing long dresses because they cover my entire body and give me a sense of security.
“Because of this condition, hair grew longer where I didn’t want it, while the hair I wanted to keep on my head kept falling out.” After starting college, I learned about laser hair removal devices. When I saw that my roommate had bought one, I got one too, and my body hair never grew back again.
10
Dear Body / 02
11
Xiaoxie / External voices
When the doctor told me that PCOS could not be cured, I did not really understand what that meant. I immediately thought I had some kind of terminal illness. The words “cannot be cured” made the condition sound extremely serious, and my mother was worried that I might not be able to have children in the future. I also started wondering whether my health would get worse or whether PCOS might lead to other problems. Later, I began looking for information myself. I realised that many women have PCOS, including people around my mother. Some of them were still able to have children and live normally, although they needed time to regulate their bodies. Learning this made me feel less frightened. I began to understand that “cannot be cured” does not mean that nothing can be done.
Now, I see PCOS as something that needs to be managed rather than something I must completely get rid of. I try to pay attention to my stress, sleep and daily routine. As long as my period comes normally and does not drag on for too long, I feel okay. I do not think about it all the time anymore. At first, the diagnosis felt like a life sentence. Now, I am learning how to live with it calmly. At first, “incurable” sounded like a life sentence. As she learned more about PCOS, fear gave way to understanding. She stopped waiting for her body to be completely cured and began learning how to live with it.
12
Dear Body / 02
Traditional Chinese medicine I kept taking traditional Chinese medicine as part of my treatment. It was so bitter and hard to endure, but I believed I could make it through.
13
Xiaoxie / External voices
When did you begin to notice a connection between stress and the way your body felt? When I am tired or under a lot of pressure, my period becomes less regular. During my final project, while looking for work and entering adult life, many things felt uncertain and stressful. Later, when I was teaching, I also felt responsible for my students’ results. That pressure became quite heavy, and for a while my period became irregular again.
“Dear body, please don't worry. Just give me a little more time, and I will surely take better care of you again.” I do not hate my body because of PCOS. As long as my period comes normally and does not drag on, I am okay. When the pressure becomes too much, I will try to take us away from its source.
14
Design & Research: Xingxi Lin Interview Participant: Xiaoxie Photography: Xingxi Lin Typeface Arial Black Franklin Gothic Book Franklin Gothic Demi Franklin Gothic Demi Cond Print & bind: Printed in Glasgow 2026 Publisher: Published by Glasgow School of Art 2026 © Xingxi Lin 2026 Dear Body is an editorial design project exploring the lived experiences of women with PCOS through personal interviews and visual storytelling. All inter views are published with participants' permission. Names have been changed where requested. This publication combines original graphic design, interview materials, and adapted visual elements. Some collage images were sourced from publicly available online references (Pinterest) and transformed through editing, recolouring, texturing and recomposition for educational purposes.