From Twitter abuse to derogatory comments on Facebook and abusive posts on Reddit, online bullying is a growing problem. Now a new survey has revealed that unpleasant and hurtful behaviour is becoming increasingly common in real life as well. One woman who knows all too well how that feels is Harnaam Kaur, 23, from Slough in Berkshire who has been growing a beard since the age of 16. Scroll down for video . Standing up to bullies: Harnaam Kaur, 23, appeared on This Morning to talk about her experiences . Facial hair: Ms Kaur began growing a beard aged 16 after developing polycystic ovary syndrome . She is one of the millions of British adults who have been bullied at some point in their lives, with most targeted about their appearance. Ms Kaur, who is now an anti-bullying campaigner, appeared on ITV's This Morning which commissioned the survey to discuss her experiences. Her problems began after she was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition that causes excess hair growth. As a result, the teaching assistant endured years of cruel taunts about her looks and spent thousands of pounds desperately trying to get rid of her beard. But after converting to Sikhism, a religion that forbids cutting hair, she decided to embrace her looks and allowed her beard to grow. Targeted: Ms Kaur, a teaching assistant, was bullied after developing facial hair due to her PCOS . Brave: Since becoming a Sikh, she has embraced her facial hair and appeared in a photography exhibition . Hard: Ms Kaur initially spent thousands trying to get rid of her facial hair but has now embraced it . PCOS is a common condition affecting a woman's ovaries, with three main features. These are cysts developing in their ovaries, the ovaries not regularly releasing eggs, and high levels of male hormones - 'androgens'. The syndrome is associated with irregular hormone levels in the body, including insulin. There is no cure for the condition, but medicine is available to treat symptoms such as excessive hair growth and fertility problems. Most women with the condition can get pregnant - but sometimes need a surgical procedure called laparoscopic ovarian drilling. This involves destroying tissue in the ovaries making androgens including testosterone . 'When I first started growing my beard it was for religious reasons but as the years have gone by I’ve kept it for more personal reasons,' she said in an interview conducted after her photo was included in an exhibition celebrating the world's best facial hair. 'It makes me feel like a brave, confident woman who isn't afraid to break society’s norms.' Sadly, Ms Kaur's experience of being bullied isn't unique. Women are slightly more likely to suffer abuse, with 55 per cent saying they had been bullied compared to 54 per cent of men. Nevertheless, both sexes suffered mental bullying such as unkind remarks, with 64 per cent of women claiming to have had to put up with cruel comments and 37 per cent of men. Male respondents were considerably more likely to have been subjected to physical attacks, with almost 20 per cent saying they had been beaten up by bullies. While small numbers reported being bullied because of their ethnicity or sexuality, the vast majority, 50.6 per cent, said they were bullied because of their looks. Speaking about the results, a spokesman for This Morning said: 'These numbers reflect the current bullying culture-situation among adults today. 'There are some  shocking results that our viewers have disclosed and on This Morning today we will go through these with guests who have suffered similar experiences. 'This Morning is a topical lifestyle programme and prides itself on covering every issue effecting its viewers and we hope all experiences and advice featured today will offer help and support to all currently being bullied.'
55 per cent of women and 54 per cent of men have been bullied . More than half of the abuse was related to the victim's appearance . Despite concerns about online bullying, 90% of abuse happens offline . One woman who has battled to beat bullies is bearded Harnaam Kaur . The 23-year-old began growing a beard after developing PCOS . Will appear on This Morning to discuss her experiences of bullying . This Morning, weekdays at 10.30am on ITV .