Thread: pcos and excess hair??

i have pcos and a hormone imbalance. have suffered this since the age of 13 and im now 23. i have excess hair in most places shall we say. i have it on my face which is the real problem. its like a beard and really makes me so anxious and depressed, i did a silly thing as i know you will say. i have shaved since the age of about 14. big mistake to say the least! which i Never done this! if i could turn back time i would! it all started with my gran who noticed it and told me to shave so at that age i did! it is alot worse now then what it might have been if i hadnt shaved. i am trying RIO LASER HAIR REMOVAL SYSTEM that you use at home and you have to leave it for a few days to have the growth to use it, i have to shave everyday and i cant go to stay anywhere. luckily i have a partner who understands and id doesnt really bother him although he would love for me to happy and not have to shave everyday. when i havent shaved i will not let him touch my face at all. i would like to know if anyone has used the RIO LASER and if it has worked for them? i have been using mine for 4 months and havent really seen any difference at all. it is meant to work within 6 months but no signs yet, i also have excess hair on my back,tummy and legs and in the other usual places. can anyone help?

Hey there, i'm 19 and suffer from PCOS too.... I have facial hair right round my jaw, like a beard. It's the worst thing in my life and it really really upsets me, the doctor told me losing weight would help and i lost three stone but no difference on the hair front... I get it on the back of my thighs and my stomach too, but the main issue, like yourself, is my facial hair.. Let me know if you find this technique useful? I also made the mistake of shaving it, and it grows back every day. I hate it. x

Ladies:
I havn't had any experience w/ the Rio. Plz keep us posted on whether that works.
Will comment on shaving and wt loss, tho.
Hair folicules are stimulated to produce hair by hormones in your body. The tie between a woman being overweight and excessive body hair is anecdotal but well documented - the theory is that fat causes cells works as a mini hormone generators, so the higher % bodyfat, the more hair-stimulating hormones in your body. Once folicules are stimulated to grow hair, the hair will keep on growing. DM420 - losing wt won't make the hairs go away, but it [U]may[U] keep new hair growth from starting.
Also, shave or don't shave. Shaving has no effect on whether new hairs grow in or not. Rember, it's the hormones in your body that causes that. Shaving seems to cause more growth, but that's an illusion.

Lastly, check what I've said here by going to other reliable sources. University of Maryland has a good site (university of maryland medical center) as does the U S govt (medlineplus dot gov)

hey dm420. i really hate mine too and it does get you down really bad. i get it on my legs,top of the thighs,stomach and back. i have it on my arms but that doesnt bother me so much. i worry about going to hospital if i have to stay as i would not be able to shave for any reason like being stuck in bed. i hope to have a baby one day and this bothers me as i dont want my kids seeing me doing this and i want to be able to have a wash after birth to get rid of it. i get the hair on the side of my face down by my neck and under my chin. it seems to be creeping further on to my face. i will let you know if it works but as i have said im on my 4th month and its meant to work within the 6 months period and shows no sign of doing so. shaving to me was the worst mistake i ever did and wish i could turn back time x DM420 please get back and maybe we can help each other?

Yeah I always have thoughts about going into hospital etc. and not being able to shave it off. It would be the worst... How many times a day are you shaving your face??? I shave in the morning without fail but around 6pm it's going stubbly and it's horrible, winter is so much easier than summer, no sun glaring at my face and I can cover up with a scarf...
I have to agree with shaving, but at the time it was just the easiest solution I guess. I'm really hoping the Rio works for you, fingers crossed, what else have you tried? xx

p3375, I haven't noticed any chances with my weight loss not even my periods regulating, which was another thing the doctor said would happen. I'm now a size 14 so I'm not obese but I am raelly dissapointed that I haven't noticed any changes, but I know that one day I won't have to deal with this and can be happy with myself.
It's so hardd to feel feminine with this...
Have you or anybody you know with PCOS tried laser surgery?
The thing I hate the most about the facial hair is going to a festivals, camping and excess hair aren't a great match x