Hairy ( PCOS) what do u do??

Hey

just wondering what you girls do about this lovely little " hairy" side effect from PCOS?

i have fine blonde hair on my face and neck and its getting thicker!! i hate people standing to close to me when they talk, cos i dont want them to see it. i have a blonde little mow on top of my lips and on my neck ( where an adams apples is on a man) i have alot of long thin blonde ones there.

is there anything i can do about it? a tablet or a cream or something? i dont want to wax or anything cos it will grow back darker and thicker.

what do you do??

i love the hair side of it, not.

I even have a hairy belly. Not thick hair or anything but really dark fine hairs. I leave them alone as it is such a large area to wax and it doesn't really bother me too much.

For my upper lip, i epilady it. I know, ouch but i gotta. When i'm in the bathroom and get my epilady out and start doing my upper lip, Dh yells out to DS "your mum's shaving again" :rolleyes:

I've got 1-2 really thick hairs on my throat area, just where an adam's apple is and a few around my aereola sp?? (nipple area), so i pluck them with tweezers. They're black hairs, so they are noticeable.

I also hate the weight side of it. The weight just sticks and won't budge.

You're lucky they are only blonde hairs, mine are thick and black! My legs get hairier that DH.

A few years ago I tried laser hair removal but it didn't work due to the hormone imbalance.

I just wax (I have became a pro at doing it myself at home)... since coming off the pill I have had to wax weekly/fortnightly, but there isn't really any other option. Waxing doesn't make the hair come back darker and thicker, its actually the opposite (for a normal person - non PCOS). Shaving has the reputation of making the hair grow back thicker.

I dont like depilatory creams because they just cut through the hair above the skin so it gives the same effect as shaving. Also, if you have sensitive skin it can give you a rash.

For me, the hair is one of the worst symptoms of PCOS, I just hate it, it's humiliating.

OMG!! how could i have left out my hairy belly and the yukky hair that i get around my nipples, i feel so sexy, look out elle i will give you a run for your money NOT!! lmao

i pluck the ones around my nipples cos there ferral and black.

the weight gain is a pain in the bum, i used to weight 99 kilo's but i got stuck into weight watchers and i am now 75 kilo's, i have been down to 68 kilos, but since doing the ivf cycles i have gone up to 75 kilos and i am going back on to weight watchers next week to try and get back down to 68 kilos for my wedding.

PCOS is so fun isnt it..... yeah right!!!

I also have different techniques for different parts of the body:

Chin, Neck & Sideburns: Wax - my chin is really hairy ALL THE TIME
Around the nipples: Pluck - I just get a few dark black hairs there
Stomach: I bleach this area if I am going to the beach etc because the hairs are really fine but dark
Snail-trail: Wax - the hairs are dark and thick
Legs & Bikini Area: Shave - I am too chicken to get them waxed, but shaving these areas is a big job because the hair is so thick and there is so much of it
Toes:redface:: Wax
Arms: for special occasions I bleach

I think I have covered every part of my body!

connie i hear you...... the hairy side effect is so embarassing. some days i hate looking in the mirror and seeing all the hair :(

if we got a hysterectomy(sp?) would that stop all the side effects from PCOS? i know its pretty full on to get one, but if you have finished having your kids and you know you dont want anymore and your sick of living with pcos, would a hysterectomy fix it? do you know what i am trying to say? sorry if that sounds silly, it just popped into my head lol

oh yeah my arms are hairy but again there blonde ( atm)
my big toes are hairy lol dp tells me i have man looking feet, there hairy on the top aswell.
around my belly button is really hairy and its starting to turn dark!! i might have to do your trick connie and bleach it, not that i will be showing my belly off anytime in the next 100 yrs lol to many scar's and stretch marks for that lmao

I have thought about that before, but I dont think it would. Although the ovaries create hormones, the adrenal gland does as well.
Androgen is the main cause of the hair and acne, and that is mainly produced in the adrenal gland... so I think we are stuck with it!

did you guys also have acne as teens or even now?

My acne was really really bad as a teen and had to go on roaccutane to cease it.

OMG. I thought i was the only one that hairs around my nipples. Oh yes, the snail trail. I epilady that

Bugger!!!!!

TD - that is one thing i dont have is acne, not when i was a teenager and not now either. although i have alot of blackheads on my nose, is this classed as acne?? i thought acne is like zits isnt it?? and blackheads are dirt locked in your porse?? it doesnt matter how much i wash my face i cant get ride of these god damn blackheads!!!

OMG. i was completely covered in acne, zits. Not a good look.
Have you tried a facial scrub?

when did you find out that you had PCOS?

Blackheads are different... but they can be caused by oily skin which can be caused by PCOS. It's just all one big fun circle that always end up back at PCOS!

I had pretty bad skin when I was a teenager, once I went on the pill it cleared up. I have been off the pill now for 7 months and it hasn't come back - thankfully!

Turkish Delight - how painful is the epilady? I have always wanted to try it but I'm terrified. Waxing is messy, but I like that it's all ripped out at once!

Hey ladies!

i thought i would join in on how much i HATE the hairy part of having PCOS. I have a hairy belly, almost as hairy as DP's :redface: i have dark hairs on my inner thighs, my leg hairs grow REALLY fast as does my under arm hair. i have hair on the tops of my feet and all over my toes. I have a hairy upper lip thank god none on my neck i just asked DP if i had a hairy neck and hes like "no..." :rofl: looked at me like i was completely nuts and now hes calling me "little miss hairy neck" hes so mean sometimes! :lol: umm i dont have hairy nipples i get the occasional random hair but i just pluck it out.

As for the acne i never had it bad as a teenager i was the only one out of my friends who never really got pimples. But now i get them bad especially when its that time of the month.

The weight gain is awful, absolutely awful probably the worst of it all, its the one thats made me really embarrassed. I used to weigh 66kgs now i'm 100kgs.. ive been trying to get the weight off but with the headaches, cramping and feeling really tired i have no motivation to exercise.

I'm just beginning to feel really down about it all. We women are amazing for going through what we have to go through. And i am considering a hysterectomy when i am done with having kids, i honestly couldn't put up with it all for much longer.

Well, i epilady my legs, underarms, snail trail and upper lip.

It's not messy, so i prefer it waxing. The pain... well, once you start on an area, it kills but after that pain is numbed to some degree, it doesn't hurt as much as it does at the start.

My upper lip kills, because it is a sensitive area i guess. i get tears in my eyes and a few tears fall, but i just keep on doing it, as i'm not going to walk out in the street with a mo ;)
Waxing the upper lip, actually stretches the skin and will lead to wrinkles later on (that's what i believe anyway!)

i found out that i had PCOS when i was 17 , i am turning 28 in december so almost 11yrs ago!! wow time flies lol

when did you find out TD? and connie?

oh soooooo thats why i have oily skin..... i didnt know that was a side effect. i have tried heaps of different facial scrubs and there not working. my pores are really visible too, how do i hide them lol

trying for a baby welcome to our little pcos B*tch thread lol

i know how hard it can be to loose weight, its so hard to find the motivation. i find i get angry at my PCOS and i use that to motivate me lol when i am walking or doing something i will think about pcos and what it is doing to my body and i tell myself " you may stop me from having a child, you might make me hairy, but i will be damn if your going to make me fat" and i keep saying that over and over in my head and it keeps me moving lol

hahahah asking your partner if you have a hairy neck lol thats something i would do. i am always asking my partner to keep an eye on my lower back to make sure the hair there doesnt turn black, he just looks at me with a funny look on his face lol ahhh the conversations we have with our partners

when did you find out you had PCOS?

and if you ever need to talk, please feel free to PM me at anytime.

Hi There

Just a quick question for you PCOS ladies....

I am a hairy girl! Megga thick head hair, hairy arms, belly, toes, bikiki line from HELL....would megga hairyness be something to go to the doctor about to see if it's caused from PCOS, or are there loads of other symptoms that go along with it?

That is actually great motivation. Except i am one of those people who sulks for a while and then does something.

I have had problems since i was 16/17 but i was only diagnosed June this year. My first instinct that i knew something was wrong was when i started gaining weight and AF became very irregular oh and hair started growing in places that didnt grow on any of my friends. I didn't start having other symptoms until recently so the cysts didnt appear until about 12-18 months ago. The horrible cramping didnt start until around the time of being diagnosed, i was actually at work one day and got this horrible pain and had to go home and it didnt go away for 2 days..

I was shattered when i learnt i had the condition, i cried for days and days. I mean i was happy that i finally knew what was causing all my problems but i so badly want to have kids and i felt like that was ripped away. And i felt like i let my DP down.

When did you ladies all find out?

I found out when I was 19, I am now 26.

I am lucky I have never had the weight problem... however, since coming off the pill I have put on a few kilos, and I am worried it's going to pile on, especially if I get pregnant.

I actually dont have much obvious hair on my upper lip, it might just be the only area I dont wax! Just the end have a few hairs which I wax once every blue moon.

trying4baby88 - I am in the same boat as you. Hair all over my thighs - inner, outer, under, over - I've got it all. The hair on my legs and underarms grows so fast I can't keep up. When I was younger and single, if I went away with the girls to the beach, they would shave every 4-5 days, I had to do it almost daily.

mummy2chloe - Sorry hun, but I am pretty large pores are just one of those things... I dont think you can make them shrink or close up. All you can do is try to keep you face as clean as possible so they wont fill up with dirt.

I have been in meetings with clients at work, where I have had to keep my hand over my chin the whole time because I knew I hadn't had a chance to wax and I was so self conscious... terrible.

I am so lucky my DH is ok with it all and tells me he doesnt care about it. But I see photos of all these girls on holidays, at the beach in bikinis, with these smooth hairless bodies and think, I will never be like that, that would take me hours of waxing, trimming, plucking and shaving.

Excessive hair is caused by hormones but i am pretty sure you would have to be showing other symptoms but a simple blood test can confirm a hormone imbalance and even PCOS. That's how i found out, but i had the ultrasound to see if i had the cysts to go along with that and sure enough i did. But i say if you're worried about it go see a doctor, it cant hurt :)

The 2 main symptoms that ALL PCOS suffers share is cysts on the ovaries (an ultrasound will show this) and a hormone imbalance (a blood test will detect this).

As for all the other things, some have them and some dont... things like:
Irregular periods
Lack of ovulation
Painful periods
Acne
Excess Hair
Weight Issues

Connie- i am exactly the same! if i shave my legs in the morning and i wanted to wear lets say a skirt at night i would have to re shave because i would have stubble. I never have silky smooth legs and it drives me insane!

My weight bothers me sometimes, i mean i am a size 14 so im not overly fat but its comments i get from people i know. When i gained the first 10kgs my bestfriends dad told her that i was getting a bit fat. My weight went straight to my boobs and belly so rumours went around my school that i was pregnant. I stopped talking to my bestfriend in the middle of year 10 and have recently started talking to her again. She took a photo of her son and my legs are in the background and the other night she messaged me and said that her partner (who doesnt like me) saw my legs in the photo, i asked how he knew they were mine and he said that he knew because they were fat legs and im fat so they must be mine. I was so upset when she told me that, i couldn't believe id be told i was fat by a guy :cry:

I am more just so self conscious about my hairyness more than anything. I would have never bothered going to the doc to get checked prior to reading this info, coz I just figured it was my spanish hairy genes passing through :)

I have such hairy legs that I have about 3 hairs coming out of 1 follicle! I even got told by a beautician not to bother waxing my bikini coz i'll just end up with megga ingrown hairs. It makes me feel sooooo unattractive.

Maybe I'll just go to the doc for a blood test to see...no harm I guess :)

Thanks for the info girls

ETA: TFB - That is an AWFUL thing to say.....perhaps there was a reason you stopped being friends with your friend in year 10...she's obviously not sensitive toward you either by TELLING you that her dumbar$e BF said that! Some people!

T4B- that its so horrible and sad that someone can be soooo mean and say things like that!! dont put up with it, tell your friends partner to back off, tell him you have a condition that is making you like this. what a horrible person. i have had heaps of comments in the past 10yrs about my weight and i have put them straight back in there spots!! i wont put up with comments like that. life is hard enough, you dont need comments like that.

minimax- there is no harm in going to see a doc, let us know how you go xxx

trying4baby88 - No offence, but your friend sounds like a biatch!! I mean, her partner sounds like a total loser, but I don't know why she would tell you that? What did she expect to achieve by telling you? That's really poor form in my eyes.

well said connie :)

there was no need for your friend to pass on that message!! weather a person is big from PCOS or is just big, there is no way i would go out of my way to tell them that they are, i have been a big person so i have been on the other end of those comments, and its heartbreaking!!! people can be sooo mean

:

---

I am a hairy girl! Megga thick head hair, hairy arms, belly, toes, bikiki line from HELL....would megga hairyness be something to go to the doctor about to see if it's caused from PCOS, or are there loads of other symptoms that go along with it?

---

Hey that is a great idea. I wonder if we get IPL, the laser hair removal thingy could we claim it back on private health insurance?? Just because hairyness is a symptom of PCOS, a medical condition. Hmmm, i have to think that one through a little. :think:

I only found out in 2006, when we were TTC DD. I fell pregnant to DS within 8 months of TTC but DD took us about 1 year. I had all sorts of blood tests done, CT scans, U/S, everything. I was then referred to an endocrinologist, hormone specialist and looking at my x-rays. bloods etc said that i had PCOS. I had a 6cm cyst on one of my ovaries and many more little ones on the other. My testosterone levels were through the roof. He got me to lie down and the first thing he checked out was my legs, belly and snail trail. I guess looking for signs of hairyness. I was 80kgs on a 165cm frame, so big, but not overly big. He told me to lose weight as my body could not cope with this amount of weight. I began losing weight and shed 10kgs, when i fell pregnant with DD.

The weight got back to 80kgs after having DD and i thought that i need to lose the weight otherwise PCOS will get worse. I lost 16kgs and was down to 64kg, but the weight just creeps on. I'm at 67kgs now, so i want to lose a few more kilos, but the weight DOES NOT move :wall: I cannot get down below 64kgs. Won't budge. I find the weight issue the hardest. Don't mind the hair as i can fix that easily.

I only wish i had known i had PCOS as a teen. My period were 50 days apart and mum thought oh well, nothing to worry about. I was always a fat girl and always hairy, again just thought that it was genes.

There is a blood pressure med that helps with the hair issue. I'm taking part of a hairloss study atm, and the person who is heading the study has taught me a lot about what drugs are on the market and how they are being used to help treat women with PCOS. (hair loss and growth!)

I don't have the exact name of the drug but I'll find it out for you and then you can talk to your doctor. When I've finished the study I'll be getting a prescription. It is also on the PBS.

The drug you are talking about is Aldactone... I took this for about a year but it made me pee so often it drove me crazy! It made the hair lighter, and there was less of it, but it didnt go away all together, it just made it more manageable. At the time, my pill was doing that anyway, so I dropped the Aldactone. You also cant take it if you are TTC.

:

---

trying4baby88 - No offence, but your friend sounds like a biatch!! I mean, her partner sounds like a total loser, but I don't know why she would tell you that? What did she expect to achieve by telling you? That's really poor form in my eyes.

---

None taken! i was actually so shocked that she told me! i was like and i needed to know that, why? i'll be the first to say i need to lose some weight but its not as easy as that, i have tried so many times i may lose 5kgs but then gain it back and then some. She doesn't understand what its like to have gone from a size 10 to a size 14 even 16. None of my friends do because PCOS is something a friend of a friend has or a lady that one of them works with.

You are going through enough without having to deal with insensitive friends. You know what you need to do, other people telling you won't motivate you, at the end of the day only you can do that.

It's hard when they don't understand, but you should only have to explain it once and they should accept it.

:

---

The drug you are talking about is Aldactone... I took this for about a year but it made me pee so often it drove me crazy! It made the hair lighter, and there was less of it, but it didnt go away all together, it just made it more manageable. At the time, my pill was doing that anyway, so I dropped the Aldactone. You also cant take it if you are TTC.

---

Thats a shame it didn't work for you. I know so many people who have had awesome results! I say anything is worth a try. I have the beginnings of major hairloss too (a grade 2) so for me I have the worst of both worlds.

To try and be positive for you, it could be worse, you could be dark and have a dark mow!

My doctor has just prescribed Vaniqa cream.... Haven't started yet, and it can take about 8 weeks to work, so you continue your normal hair removal (waxing etc) and it sort of stunts the growth of the new hairs.... But it is only for facial hair. Can't wait to see how it goes! :pray:

Just a quick note..

When you wax, the hairs dont grow back more or thicker etc. As beauty therapist. the hair folicule is as is.. it doesnt change.

Hi ladies

I also have the thick hair everywhere. It's very embarrassing for me and I don't speak about it to anyone. I had IUI with DD1 as I don't ovulate. I just form cysts. DD2 was natural though. I have alot of pain if I am not on the pill or breastfeeding when I ovulate and have had one ovarian cystectomy for a dermoid cystic tumour and 4 laparoscopies for cyst aspiration. Through all of this the dr never mentioned PCOS. Do you think I could have it?

Miss H I think you should ask your doctor about it... it sounds like you might have PCOS, but you will need a blood test to confirm you have the hormonal imbalance. If your doc doesnt know much about it you should ask for a referral to an endocrinologist, they will be able to tell you what's going on.