Hello everyone. This forum is great. I am new here...or should i say "hair"!....I suffer from pcos and have had to deal with superflous hair for most of my adult life. I've tried nearly all the temporary methods and electrolysis also. The latter worked well for me but was very expensive. Now, I've chosen to stick to waxing and threading facial hair. I dont mind shaving my arms and legs.
I've heard with continuous waxing, the hair grows back finer and lesser(sparser). Is this true? I also understand hair grows in a three week cycle.
Your website has been very interesting and informative. Thank you for such a wonderful and sensitive issue where we can discuss our hair problems.

[ August 24, 2002, 10:54 PM: Message edited by: plumzee ]

[ August 24, 2002, 10:55 PM: Message edited by: plumzee ]

Actually, I quite enjoy shaving my legs!!


I've never met anyone else who does, but I find it very theraputic...

Anyway, I've heard also that waxing can permanently reduce body hair. But I haven't heard what its effect is on the face.
I've heard stories of guys who've had their legs waxed for charity, but the hair never grew back!!

And, yes, hair growth is cyclic. There's three stages (I used to know the names, but I won't risk a guess - I'll probably goof! I'm sure someone will chip in...)

If you're having electrolysis or laser, only the hairs in the 'growth' phase will be treated.

plumzee, I'm glad the information has been helpful, and I'm glad you feel comfortable asking questions here!

If your hormone levels are under control, it's possible that waxing will very gradually reduce the amount of hair after many years of treatment. However, there is no guarantee that this will happen, and it's much less likely to happen for women with PCOS.

Hair growth cycles have huge variations by person and by body area. Some cycles take years (head hair), others take weeks (eyebrows) or months (most body and facial hair). That's why it's hard to evaluate results unless they are based on long-term observations.

Hello everyone I hope everyone is doing fine. I need to asked this question. I went to the doctor today (GYN) to have my annual exam. I suffer from PCOS and have all the symtoms that go along with it. My biggest concern is to get my hormones under control as soon as possible and reduce my facial hair. I discussed this with my doctor and she said the only medicine that would help me would be birth control pills. Now I don't mind taking the pill but I can't imagine that the pill is the only medicine that can help a women with pcos. I asked her if I should see a endocrinologist she said that I could but it probably wouldn't make a diffence. I was so upset when I left her office I started to cry. I felt like what if the pill doesn't work for me I have no hope.

marie, I'm so sorry that your appointment left you feeling so bad...

I don't have PCOS, but I do have a extensive experience with dealing with different doctors in many different fields... I personally feel that the patient always has the right to a second (or third, or fourth etc.) opinion. In fact, I think it the best thing that you can do for yourself, because different doctors have different approaches and different ideas. Also, some doctors are more up to date on new treatments than others. Some are more open to "alternative" methods of treatment as well.

Hopefully someone with more knowledge about PCOS will be able to provide you with more specific information, but in the meantime, that's my 2 cents.

Marie, I'm sorry you felt so bad after your appointment, too.

I certainly think you should get another opinion. I'm not a doctor, so please get professional advice.
From my understanding, the contraceptive pill will help a bit.
They all have different hormones in them, so it's important to be prescribed the right one.

There's two hormones in the pill, progesterone, and oestrogen (estrogen in the US). There are lots of different 'types' of each of those two hormones. Some have a bigger anti-androgen effect than others, so it's important to be on the right pill for you.

But there's more that you can do. You can take androgen diuretics. (A diuretic is a substance that flushes out another chemical from the body. Alcohol is a water diuretic - that's why you go to the loo lots, and have a big hangover afterwards!!)

Here in the UK, the usual prescription for excess testosterone is Ciproterone Acetate (or Spironolactone) - I think in the US it's Androcur.

I might have got those the wrong way round, and I've probably miss-spelt them!!

But don't despair!!
I hope this has been of help.

Thanks for your opinions and advice Dragon Fly and Toni. I will get a second opinion and a third if I have to. Meanwhile I have decided to lose 20 pounds I think this will help me with my appearance and self-esteem. Does anyone have any advice on losing weight for a women with PCOS? Does anyone have any make-up tips for a women with PCOS. Thanks again guys.

Regarding make-up tips, I presume you mean to cover the dark hair shadow...?

I've never tried it, but I hear Dermablend is very good. It's used to cover up all sorts of serious blemishes on people's faces - scars, burns, port stains, those sort of things. I think some people use it to cover over the hair shadow, too.

Personally, I use Aveda concealer. I wouldn't recommend it for large areas - I'm lucky, I only have a problem on my top lip and chin. Then I blend it in with my usual foundation.

I think you can get Aveda in most stores? I get mine at the Beauty Therapist who does my electrolysis.

You might have to go to a dermatologist to get hold of Dermablend?

Hi Marie--

I'm very sorry you had such an upsetting experience at the doctor's office. There are a number of drugs besides birth control pills which may be able to help women with PCOS.

I'm not a doctor, so this is just suggestions for further research. There's a drug called Metformin which some women with PCOS take. From what I understand (someone jump in if I'm wrong), PCOS can also cause problems with glucose tolerance.

Weight loss and hormone control will probably go a long way to getting you hair situation stabilized. Dermablend is a good heavy cover-up make-up, and the MAC line has some heavier stuff that can be good.

Once you have your hormone and weight at a good place, you should probably consider a permanent method of hair removal if you can afford it, at least on your face. This will go a long way toward improving your self-esteem. Worry about your face over your body, especially if money is an issue--everyone sees your face. If you can't afford a permanent method, you should epilate, which will reduce your shadows.

I also recommend you sign up with a few sites that cover PCOS. My favorite is:

PCOSupport.org