Women with PCOS often experience an excess of androgens (hormones) like testosterone, which can lead to thinning of the hair and female pattern hair loss. The effects of the hormonal imbalances associated with PCOS may cause your hair to become dry, brittle and damaged.
Over years, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may slowly result in excess hair growth, irregular periods, obesity, infertility and sometimes multiple cysts on the ovaries.
Weight loss is often the first step in treating hirsutism. Losing even 5% of your body weight can lower your androgen levels and stop excessive hair growth.
Hirsutism is linked to hormones called androgens. It can happen if the level of these hormones increases or if your body becomes more sensitive to them. The most common cause is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This is a condition affecting the ovaries that can also cause symptoms such as acne and irregular periods.
While medication and laser hair removal can help manage the symptoms of PCOS-related facial hair, they may not provide a permanent solution. If you stop taking medication or receiving laser hair removal treatments, the hair may grow back.
Hirsutism refers to the excess growth of coarse, often long and dark hair, in a male-like pattern over the face, chest, abdomen, back, arms and legs.
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.
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.
Treatments for hirsutism where there is no underlying cause or in association with PCOS include: Self-help (What can I do?) Shaving. Some people believe that shaving encourages more hair growth, but this is not true.
There is an old wives' tale about avoid shaving your face because the hairs will grow back more quickly. According to Dr. Lertzman, tweezing or shaving certain areas of your face does not change how quickly the hairs grow back or how long the hairs remain on the face.
Electrolysis and laser are both called "permanent hair reduction" techniques. However, for females with PCOS, hair will grow back after either treatment, unless medication to suppress hair growth is also taken (a birth control pill or antiandrogen).
A thick head of hair is often a sign of a healthy scalp. So, when your locks become noticeably sparse, it could be a tell-tale sign of hypothyroidism. This glandular condition affects nearly five out of 100 Americans ages 12 and older and can be treated with thyroid medications.
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..
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.
Hirsutism Treatment
A topical cream (eflornithine hydrochloride) also can be applied to treat facial hirsutism. Medical therapy inhibits hair growth without eliminating hair already present. Therefore, medical therapy usually is combined with mechanical methods of hair removal, such as electrolysis or lasers.
There is currently no cure for PCOS. However, treatments are available to manage symptoms, such as hair loss. This may involve using medications such as birth control, antiandrogens, metformin, and minoxidil. Some natural treatments, such as chasteberry, may also show some benefit for managing symptoms.
The “hidden” symptoms of PCOS
These, Dr Bajekal says, can include excessive daytime sleepiness, breathing problems like sleep apnoea and snoring, darkened skin behind the neck, underarms and groin, as well as psychological signs such as heightened depression and anxiety.
This article will outline the major differences between the two. PCO is not a disease, whilst PCOS is a metabolic condition: PCO is a variant of normal ovaries, whilst PCOS is a metabolic disorder associated with an unbalanced hormone levels released by the woman's ovaries.
Ovarian cysts and PCOS are related conditions with many of the same symptoms, meaning that women often confuse the two, or wrongly believe that they have PCOS when they do not.
Research suggests that females with PCOS may continue to have high androgen levels after menopause (when monthly periods normally stop), but that they decline to normal after approximately age 70.