Improving blood glucose control and reducing insulin resistance can help women with PCOS improve their hormone balance and as a result, reduce symptoms such as hair growth (Baptiste et al., 2010). People often claim that one way to help you manage your blood glucose levels is by saying goodbye to carbs.
Herbal supplements, essential oils, and scalp massages can help combat hair loss caused by PCOS. A balanced diet with adequate nutrients is crucial for maintaining healthy hair. Managing stress, exercising regularly, and maintaining a healthy weight can promote hair health in individuals with PCOS.
Vitamin D can help with hair loss due to PCOS by reducing inflammation, which helps balance those sex hormones! Plus, vitamin D has been shown to help with follicle cycling, which is the natural process of hair growth and shedding. This is essential for a healthy, full-head of hair!
Electrolysis can permanently remove unwanted hair. Once your hair is gone, you won't need maintenance treatments. It works on all hair types, including light-colored hairs, which lasers cannot remove. There's no downtime.
Estrogen-progestin contraceptive pills, rings, and patches lower the levels of androgens produced by the ovaries and adrenal glands. They are usually the first choice for the treatment of hirsutism, and between 60 and 100 percent of females with hirsutism will notice improvement when taking these medications.
Tweezing your pubes can be time-consuming and painful, but it's generally a low-risk way to get rid of a few stray hairs around your underwear line. This method plucks hair out at the root and can slow hair growth by two to 12 weeks.
Hirsutism requires ongoing treatment. None of the treatments make the hair go away completely, but they help make your hair grow more slowly and decrease the amount of unwanted hair. Most people are happy with their results once they find an effective treatment regimen that works for them.
Women with PCOS often have lower zinc levels, which can exacerbate symptoms like acne, hair loss, and unwanted hair growth. The benefits of zinc for PCOS are numerous. It can reduce PMS symptoms, increase fertility, minimise hair loss, clear up skin, and lower insulin levels.
It usually begins in the front of the scalp or towards the crown. As the hair becomes thinner and thinner, the part may appear wider, and the scalp may become visible. Although not always achievable, PCOS hair loss can sometimes be reversed.
PCOS belly occurs when you develop excess fat or weight gain around your abdomen. This symptom often occurs due to an underlying diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome. Hormonal imbalances and insulin resistance due to PCOS can influence your weight, causing you to gain unwanted weight.
Regular exercise, like brisk walking or yoga, can dramatically improve insulin sensitivity while also boosting energy levels and helping with weight control. A diet focused on whole, unprocessed foods, low in refined sugars and high in fibre, keeps blood sugar in check and reduces cravings.
Usually, the combined pill is recommended for managing PCOS symptoms. However, if you cannot tolerate the combined pill or cannot take oestrogen, your doctor may advise taking a mini pill containing desogestrel. This is because desogestrel mini pills have less male hormone effects, which can make PCOS worse..
Androgen and other side effects
Androgens are a group of male hormones that includes testosterone. When women have elevated levels of androgens, the increased testosterone leads to several physical changes in addition to facial hair growth, such as: Balding.
The combined oral contraceptive pill is usually used to treat excessive hair growth (hirsutism) and hair loss (alopecia). A cream called eflornithine can also be used to slow down the growth of unwanted facial hair.
However, zinc has shown to block these excess androgens. For instance, one study found that taking a zinc supplement significantly decreased both PCOS-related hair loss and hirsutism in just eight weeks (7).
Minoxidil. Minoxidil, commonly known by the brand name Rogaine, is another possible medical treatment for hair loss due to PCOS. There is even a type of Rogaine designed specifically for women that is often recommended by dermatologists for patients with PCOS.
Dietary supplements that contain vitamins B6 and E are also believed to help get rid of unwanted hair growth in the facial areas. For one, vitamin B6 is thought to help lower testosterone in women and inhibit prolactin hormone production.
things you can do at home to remove or lighten the hair – such as shaving, waxing, plucking, hair removal creams or bleaching. a prescription cream to slow hair growth on your face (eflornithine cream) taking a contraceptive pill if you've not been through the menopause yet – this can help control hormone levels.
The "white gunk" you might notice in hair follicles is typically sebum, a natural oil produced by your sebaceous glands to protect and hydrate the skin and hair. Sebum, combined with dead skin cells and other debris, can build up around the hair follicle and harden, often looking like a white or yellowish gunk.