Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Laser Hair Removal?

[squee]

Hey everyone! I''m not sure if I''m posting this in the right section, so Admin. please feel free to move if necessary!

I have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and as such have had some real issues. From what I''ve been told, it could be a lot worse, as I haven''t developed Type 2 Diabetes, but I do have the insulin resistance thing going on. Yay.

I''ve got the diet going and the exercise too, but am still overweight, especially in the tummy area (which I''m told is normally where women with PCOS store most of their fat. Supposedly it has to do with the insulin resistance thing). One day at a time, I guess. The thing that I''m most self conscious about is the body hair thing. I''m Cuban, and figured that the body hair thing was normal, considering my nationality, but it''s gotten progressively worse in the past 4 or 5 years. This is probably TMI, but it''s EVERYWHERE.

The worst is on my face, specifically my chin and neck. It''s a daily battle to get rid of all of it, and even when I do, there are dark patches left on my face where the hair was. It''s never ending.

It''s something I''m so embarrassed about, that even talking about it makes me cry. So, I talked to my mom the other day, and she broached the topic of my PCOS and my facial hair. It sort of upset me, because I think I''d fooled myself into thinking that maybe it wasn''t as noticeable as I thought it was (you know how you''re usually more self critical than others are of you?). Well apparently, it is as noticeable as I prayed it wasn''t.

She told me that she had noticed it, and that she wanted to help. Now, I''m pretty much broke. I live on my own, and also pay for school, so between rent, school, food, car, and life in general, there''s NOTHING left over. She knows this, and VERY GENEROUSLY offered to pay for me to have laser hair removal done on my face and neck as my gift for my upcoming birthday. Now, these aren''t my only problem areas, but I figure I can deal with the rest as long as I''m not over here growing a freaking beard.

I SO appreciate the fact that she''s doing this for me, but I''m concerned about the lasting effects, especially with the hormone issues with the PCOS.

My real question is for anyone who has PCOS - Have you had laser hair removal, and if so, how effective was it? Did it come back after you got it lasered off, and if so, how much of it came back? I know the effectiveness varies from person to person, but I''m concerned that if my hormones are all borked, that it will inevitably come back. I guess I just don''t want her to spend her hard earned money on something that will just come back eventually. That''s not fair to her. I''m not even concerned with the pain factor, as I figure it''s one of those "no pain, no gain" type things and I''m willing to deal with it if I deem it worth it - ie: it''s permanent, or at least mostly permanent. I know that sometimes you''ll get a straggler here or there, and am willing to deal with that as it comes, but if all this money''s getting spent for me to actually look like a girl, I want to know if it''s going to last, or if I''m just going to end up looking like Grizzly Adams in a year anyway.

Thanks for any help or information anyone can give. Sorry for the novel!

 

[meresal]

squee: I was trying to find some info for you, and ran across another forum that you may or may not know about. It's called soulcysters.com, and it's a board for women with PCOS. There are quite a few discussions about ladies that have or are having LHR.

Here's the link... http://www.soulcysters.net/laser-hair-removal-consult-tomorrow-253392/


Hope this helps!!

 

[squee]

Thanks a lot Meresal! I''ll go check it out!

 

[purrfectpear]

I don''t have any info on facial laser hair removal, but I do have a coworker friend who had her legs and private area done. The whole process took months (pain was minimal by the way) but the hair did come back, though much less. She didn''t have any medical issues and was not a particulary hairy person to begin with.

Waxing is pretty effective.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I don''t have any medical problems but I did have laser hair removal 3 years ago (my first treatment). It was a long, painful process and I am not hair free by any means. I have a thread on here somewhere that documents my experience. Good luck!

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

I would talk to a dermatologist first.

one, hormone changes can make a BIG difference in the pain levels. I got half way through and it was unpleasant, but not terrible. Then I started BC pills and the pain was unbearable and I have a high pain tolorance. Apparently it is fairly common.

Second, lasers can cause skin discoloration which you mentioned you already had. A derm can tell you if there is a better option or if it will make things worse.

You have my sympathy, as an Irish girl I can grow grow hair in places my FI could never dream of, thank heavens for tweezers.

 

[somethingshiny]

I don''t have much info on the laser removal, but I thought I''d add this for you. There is a PCOS support thread in the FHH section.

LINKY

 

[GoingCrazy29]

My cousin has PCOS and instead of doing the hair removal (too unreliable and $$ she decided) she just waxes every week. It gets annoying, but I don''t see her facial hair anymore! Good luck with your decision!

 

[trillionaire]

SQUEE!!


Clearly we are kindred spirits. My sister has PCOS, my cousin does, and I have not been officially diagnosed, but I would bet money that I have it too based on the uncontrolled hair growth that I am experiencing.

I have been doing Laser hair removal for the past year. I started experiencing excess hair growth around age 18 on my breast bone (visible when wearing v-necks or low cut tops). I would pluck it, not big deal, then they started becoming ingrown (psuedofolliculitis barbae, I think is the term), which led to scarring. I''m not super vain, so I didn''t really fuss about it. Around age 20, it was the chin and neck, and it got worse and worse over time. I too tried to convince myself that it wasn''t noticable, but when my visually impaired brother made comments, I knew it MUST be bad! I think it got worse after I got the Mirena IUD, because I had never been on hormones, and Mirena uses more male hormones, so look into the composition of your BC if you use any! (which is sad because I LOVE LOVE LOVE my IUD, but I am thinking of having it out!) Anyway, after getting the IUD, my facial hair went crazy (cheeks, corners of my mouth), as well as my happy trail and breasts, around the nipples. And my hair grows FAST!!!!

So needless to say I was plucking and shaving daily trying to hide all of this, but at some point, it is really futile. And I didn''t want to talk to my boyfriend about it because I was too embarrassed, although he has NEVER complained about my hair or anything and he is WONDERFULLY, AMAZINGLY, INCREDIBLY supportive! But I had all this scarring and was just so self conscious. So, I decided I need to do laser hair removal. It has really help me soooooooooooooo much, I am SO happy with my decision, but it is expensive.

Ok, here is how it goes.

Before LRH (laser hair removal), you cannot pluck or wax. You can only shave for the 6-8 weeks prior to your appointment. Also, no sun before treatments. Hair grows in cycles, and the hair visible at any time in the area that you are getting treated is only about 20% of the total follicles. This means that any area that you want to treat will need to be treated 4-6 times before you can expect to be hair free. I have had my chin treated 4 times, and am amazed at how much improvement I have seen. The hair is much finer and less dense and does not make me self conscious at all. I also don''t pluck anymore.

I pay about $80-100 per treatment (I can usually find coupons or discounts) and go every 2 months (longer when I am broke, lol!) If you can get your mom to commit to $50/month for a year, you can probably treat your chin completely. Most places offer packages or combinations of areas too. For example: chin $99, upper lip $89, neck $99, Cheeks $99 or face (including all the aforementioned for $250)

Honestly, if the hair makes you self conscious, just make it a long term project. Once a hair becomes a terminal hair (thick, dark, coarse) it stays that way.

So waxing and shaving are options, but laser hair removal has really really helped me and I am sooooo thankful that the technology is available. It is "uncomfortable", but not horribly painful. Upper lip can hurt a lot, and parts of my armpits hurt quite a bit too.

It''s the best thing that I have done for myself. I am much less self conscious, it doesn''t take long, and I am less hesitant about intimacy! Imagine not wanting to kiss your boyfriend for fear that my stubble would poke him or wondering if I had shaved around my nipples!

I was really unhappy.

I''m glad I have a chance to talk about it on this forum, because people really need to know that they are not alone. It''s not my fault, and I am not taking it personally, but I am working to correct the aesthetics.

 

[louisvgirl]

I have had hair removal done before,(on my face) and it is not a one time deal. I''ve had over 10 sessions, 6 within 9 months , and follow ups there after. I had it done on my face and it did, or does run me about $130 a session. The hair does grow back, but not as quickly as "normal growth". I also think it depends on the type of machine which is used. I went to one place and they said it would take a few days for the hair to fall off, after the procedure and it did not. I went to another place and it was taken off instantly. I walked out with no hair, and happy as could be. The pain is minimal, but it is an ongoing process. I don''t regret doing it, but it does get expensive. And for all the treatments I''ve had, you would think it would be all a gone by now.

 

[squee]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I really appreciate it!

purrfectpear - Thanks for the input! I''ve tried the waxing thing, and I wish I could say it worked, but it really doesn''t. What ends up happening is that the people waxing you (at least all the ones I''ve been to in the past) tend to make all this commentary about how hairy you are and stuff, which just makes me feel more crappy than I already do. Plus, my hair grows very quickly, so within like a week, we''re back to square one.

The other thing with waxing is that I still have like this shadow thing where the hair previously was. It''s oh so attractive, let me tell you.

Tacori - Thanks for letting me know about your experience with it. I read through the threads that both you and Skippy started, and was able to get a good amount of info. from them. Thank you!

brazen_irish_hussy - I actually went for a consultation today, and it was with a dermatologist who also happens to do laser hair removal. She told me that the laser actually helps get rid of the discoloration (which I guess is caused by the dark hair under the skin that just hasn''t emerged yet). She mentioned that in rare cases it can cause hyperpigmentation issues, but that the incidences are rare. I''m currently on Yasmin to help regulate my periods, so from what you said, I''m sure that''ll add to the discomfort level, but I think I''m willing to try it out to see if I can deal. Fingers crossed!

somethingshiny - Thanks for the link!

goingcrazy29 - Thanks! I''m glad that''s working out for your cousin. I wish that were the case with me!

trillionaire - Holy cow, we ARE kindred spirits! I totally know what you mean about, well, pretty much everything! I also have the hair on and between my breasts, happy trail, pretty much all my stomach, some on my back - especially right above my butt, butt, arms, legs, chin, face, neck, feet... you name it, I''ve got it. My BF is a lot like yours, it seems, in that he''s never said a word about any of it bothering him. I think he knows how self conscious I am about it, and just figures I''ll get upset if he brings it up. I think if it really bothered him he''d have said something by now though. I know he''s noticed, because when I told him my mom was doing this for me, his only response was to tell me how he was happy I was getting it done because he thinks I''ll be much happier afterwards. I think if he hadn''t noticed, he probably would''ve given me some puzzled look. Up til now, I''ve pretty much been doing the daily plucking and shaving, like you were talking about yourself. Honestly, I''d like to get pretty much everything done eventually, but I know that''ll likely take YEARS, since I''m so freaking poor. I figure I can deal with the rest of it, and slowly get it done (provided the face thing is successful, that is) on the rest of my body. It''s just that with your face, there really is no hiding it. I totally know what you mean about not wanting to get intimate with BF for fear of him seeing/feeling hair or stubble. I even cringe whenever he touches my face, just because I can just imagine what he''s thinking about it. I know he loves me and wouldn''t be with me if it really bothered him that much, but I really can''t help but still be ridiculously self conscious about it.

I guess we''ll see how it goes. I''m going to try to get some other price quotes, to see what''s average in these parts (I''m in NJ), and go from there. I was quoted $1,200 for the "package" today. The package that I''d be getting if I decided to do it consists of 5 treatments on both the face and neck. If I''d just done the face, it would have stopped right at the jawline, and a whole lot of the issues are just below that (under the chin, by the throat), so I had to opt for the neck as well. Are you all done with your face treatments, or are you still going? When was your last face treatment? I''ve also made an appointment with my gyno. to discuss any available hormone medications I can take so as to avoid any NEW hair growth. Ain''t PCOS just grand?!

Hopefully, if I decide to do the laser hair removal coupled with hormones, it''ll all be under control. Now if I could just find a miracle diet, I''d be set...

Thanks for all the info and for sharing your own experiences! It''s really comforting to know I''m not the only one going through all this. I figure, worst case scenario - If this doesn''t work, I can always try to audition to be a new member of ZZ Top.

louisvgirl - Thanks for sharing. Would you mind letting me know which machines they''ve used on you (if you know) and which ones worked better than others?

 

[gemgirl]

squee, I''ve had PCOD for twenty six years and I''ve been through it all , except for lasar hair removal because that didn''t exist when my PCOD was at it''s worst. I did try electrolysis, but that was a pain for the same reasons as lasar hair removal. I had to allow the hair on my upper lip and chin to grow (absolutely gross) and it wasn''t a permanent treatment for getting rid of the hair. The most important thing you should know is- once a hair follicle has been activated, it will remain activated even if they get your PCOD under control. So basically what you have now, you''ll always have to deal with. I''m in menopause now and I still have to pluck, wax, shave and silk epil the hair away every single day. It takes me longer to do all that, than to put on my make-up. My husband always makes fun of how long it takes me to get ready to go anywhere.

The point of my even answering your post (because I find this embarrassing too) is to mention this. PCOD doesn''t always exist as a singular condition. If you haven''t seen a good endocrinologist, burn rubber to the doctor with the best reputation in your area that takes your insurance. After a lifetime of being called "skinny" by my friends, I suddenly developed a weight problem that drove me nuts. It wasn''t until quite a few years after the embarrassing weight gain that I was found to have an adrenal disorder called Hyperaldosteronism. (Hyper-A and PCOD are buddy illnesses, they often occur together and in fact depend on each other to exist) Actually, I put the cart before the horse. When the Endo did a full range of hormone testing, they found that I had a testosterone level equal to that of a man. If your testosterone level is very high it means your adrenals are in overdrive. They checked my aldosterone level and my salt and potassium levels and found that my aldosterone level was through the roof, I retaining salt and excreting potassium, so much so I was in danger of having a spontaneous heart attack because of my lack of potassium. Once I was properly diagnosed, was put on Spironalactone to treat the Hyper- A, the pounds just dropped off, I stopped developing so many dozens of cysts and my periods were instantly regular. Within six months I had lost twenty pounds and was close enough to my regular weight to allow me to feel like my old self again. The rest of the weight also just peeled right off.

If I''ve made this too complicated, I''m sorry. What it boils down to is asking your doctor to run a blood test to check your adrenal hormone levels as well as your electrolyte levels and they''ll get a clearer picture of how to help you.

I''ve been seeing an Endocrinologist for many many years now, every six months to check my blood and to gauge whether I''m still on the right dose of meds. It''s just something you have to do if you have this too. By fine tuning my problem, I''ve been able to keep the excess weight off for nineteen years. I also stopped developing "new" active follicles when they diagnosed all of the problems associated with my PCOD.

If you''ve never heard of the "Silk Epil" system of hair removal, google it. I don''t know who sells it now, I got mine years ago at Bloomies. I also have the mini facial Silk Epil machine for my upper lip. I buy one of those every four or five years because they die. Both are like many many tiny electric tweezers spinning very quickly that grab onto and remove the hair from the root. It''s NOT like shaving, it''s from the root. It''s more like waxing. Once you make the investment in the Silk Epil gadget and have it in the house? You can use it every few days if you need to until you get the excess hair under control. It will grab a hair as small as 1/16" long. It''s really pretty great. You''ll never have to be embarrassed again. An extra tip? Exfoliate first. Use a good quality facial scrub. That will prevent an in-growns from happening and it will release any in-growns if you already have them. It will also brighten your skin because it removes the dead top layer. Eventually you may get rid of that dark area of skin.

I told one of my girlfriends who also has PCOD, that if I ever go into a coma, to just pull the plug instantly because I wouldn''t ever want to be laying there vegging growing a beard and a mustache!

 

[nytemist]

Squee, I have the same issue. I was diagnosed with PCOS a couple of years ago. I''ve always had the dark spots on my upper chest, but it has gotten worse lately along my jawline, underneath my jaw and my neck. I usually just pluck and I''ve been using a skin lightening cream on those spots. On black skin every follicle makes nice, attractive dark spots so underneath my neck looks bad. I''ve been considering laser treatment, but from what I understand from my doctor laser removal will get rid of the hair that you have, but since you still have the condition that causes it to happen, other hair will continue to grow in. A friend of mine splurged and got electrolosis treatment (she has PCOS too) but unfortunately for her after about a year, hair starting growing back in. For now, I pluck the hair, use fade cream and try to cover it somewhat with makeup during the day.

I try not to think about it, but the second someone is standing really close to me I always think they are looking at all the spots and pseudo-beard and wonder if I''m a man or whatever else is wrong with me.

 

[trillionaire]

http://epilalaserhairremover.com/index.html

Has anyone heard of or tried this? This would save you a LOT of money in the long run if it works. However, a 60 day money back guarantee would be cutting it close... it could take as long as 8 weeks for hair to regrow after treatment...

 

[Cleo]

Hi squee!

I wanted to post and give you lots of love and hugs, because it must have taken a lot o courage to post about such a personal thing.

The other ladies have given you great advice. I can't speak from personal experience, but my sister has PCOS and has also suffered from excess hair growth.

You haven't mentioned it in your post, but I just wanted to say that if you're not getting this treatment already, that the excess hair can be improved by treatment with a combined contraceptive pill (if you're not trying to conceive) and with an anti-androgen. They can take some time to work, but are definitely worth asking your doctor about if you are not already getting this help.

Regarding hair removal, I wondered if you had ever tried threading?

It's a traditional Indian method of hair removal, using twisted threads (and is *awesome* for eyebrows) byt can be done anywhere on the body. It's pretty cheap, fast, and fairly painless... and it works on really short hairs too (unlike waxing where you have to grow the hair).

If threading's out, an epilator might help you, as you can use this at home and it also works on super-short hairs. The big benefit here is that you can just use it quickly every day to keep on top of things if you need to.

It's not painless, but you get used to it.

Just thought I'd mention those just in case.

It's so lovely that your mum will help you, bless her. I really hope that you can find something to help you, as I can't imagine how you must be feeling at the moment.

*hugs*

x x x

*ETA* Just wanted to say that the Silk Epil device the previous poster mentioned is an epilator. I think you can get ones made by Braun and Phillips. I have a Philips ceramic one and I lurrrrrrrve it!

 

[squee]

Thanks everyone for your support and advice. I really appreciate it. Well, what I ended up doing was scheduling a consultation for the laser hair removal. It went well, and I actually decided to start treatment on my face and neck. One treatment down, 4 more to go! That was about 2 weeks ago, and I already see that it''s making a difference. It does hurt though! I''m not sure if it''s just that my skin is sensitive, but holy moly! I couldn''t stop jumping when the doctor was doing my chin.

It was awful, but well worth it if I can get rid of this hair. I''m concerned about new hair growth, since it''s really a hormonal problem, so I went ahead and scheduled an appointment with my obgyn, and he is having me do a bunch of bloodwork to test my testosterone levels, insulin, and progesterone. I''ll be getting that done in the next few days or so. I also took it upon myself to schedule an appointment with an endocrinologist, so that I can discuss possible hormone balancing treatments (although my obgyn might be able to prescribe those, but I''m not sure). I figure if I start balancing my hormones, I''ll be able to lose the extra weight that I''ve been carrying around, and also avoid growth of any new hair on my face, or anywhere else!

Thanks again for all the support ladies! I really do appreciate it!

 

[swimmer]

Great job getting so proactive Sq!
Cleo really has a point, the laser removal will work best when you also tackle the hormonal side. I did both laser and electrolysis (dermo cousin practiced on my light skin dark hair) and I found electrolysis was great to remove hair and sort of seal off spots that seemed to be acne prone, but the hair removed both ways always came back till I got on the pill and metformin. Now, I''m facial hair free, (other than eyebrows), and wish I had gotten the meds earlier. But as an aside, the electrolysis (mixed method I believe) worked best and I exchanged tutoring the electrolysist''s kids for her services. Hey, I had no cash in grad school and found a woman who was willing to barter. It was a solution for a time, but long term, you gotta deal with the hormonal/insulin issues at the root of the issue. No pun intended.

 

[gemgirl]

squee, natural or bio-identical progesterone may help you. I''ve been on it for nineteen years and I''ll never stop taking it. Natural Progesterone is known as a great hormonal regulator. It really works to balance everything out.

 

[LaraOnline]

Squee,
I just wanted to give you my support. My sister has been diagnosed with PCOS as well, and is really embarrassed by her facial hair, she spends a lot of time tweezing and epilating.
the laser hair removal is a really great bet for long term, it really cuts the hair back, and the hair that grows back is generally finer, as you're probably working out by now.

It is a long term solution though, sometimes you'll just have to be philosophical and keep going back and back to weed out those darn persistent patches!
One time, when I was broke, I would go to a laser session, wait no longer than two weeks, and wax the regrowth, and then wait another six to eight weeks before going back for more laser.
Of course, the laser people say you shouldn't wax or tweeze at all, but as their material specifies minimum six weeks after waxing, I couldn't really see the harm in it.
Helped keep me sane, and I *think* the regrowth cut back more quickly as well!

anyway, just remember, you are not alone in all of this.