facial hair due to PCOS :(

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Re: facial hair due to PCOS :(

a few girls in my family have pcos, and the doctors think i may have it too. The worst thing you can do for PCOS is take birth control. I know the doctors say to take it to control your hair growth, and to regulate your period, but the birth control is actually doing the opposite of what you want. When you have PCOS, you are NOT ovulating regularly. When you take birth control, it STOPS your ovulation all together. The period that you get on birth control is NOT a real period, its just withdrawal bleeding when you take the fake pills for a few days. When you have PCOS, you want to regulate or start your ovulation. I have researched this so much, because Im going to be getting married soon, and would like to start a family some day. I have a heard many stories of girls who have PCOS, take birth control, and then when they stop birth control they dont get their period for 6 months to a year. You cant get pregnany if you are not ovulating!

Birth control is not the answer for PCOS. I know most of you are more concerned with getting rid of the hair (I am as well, that is why I have started laser hair removal, and so far Im happy with the results I have seen), but you need to think about getting your ovulation regulated. Talk to your doctor if you have PCOS and are trying to have a baby, but havent been able to get pregnant. There are medicines like Clomid and Metformin that help with ovulation in girls with PCOS. Trust me, I know what Im talking about....one of my cousins suffers from severe PCOS, and she has been trying to have a baby for the last 6 years. She has done her research, and knows what she is talking about....and I have also done my research. Please learn more about PCOS before you just start taking birth control.....birth control is not right for girls with pcos.

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Re: facial hair due to PCOS :(

Birth control prevents too much testosterone which lowers the hair-growth problems.

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Re: facial hair due to PCOS :(

^thats only a temporary solution to a permanent problem.

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u made me scared :(

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there is no permanent soluation for pco. Once you have it, you have it...it doesn't goes away.

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For hormonal imbalance one must take Black seed (kalonji). It will also reduce excessive hair growth.
For this specific purpose you should take half teaspoon of black seed or (kalonji) with one full glass of water in the morning, before taking breakfast or anything else. continue it for at least three months.

Disclaimer! Pregnant women should not use black seed so regularly because it can cause a miscarriage.

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Thank you! I am the same type as you and I can't do anything without a ton of research. I diagnosed myself with PCOS and my doctor just had to confirm it for me. My doctor also recommended birth control but it sounds like such a bandaid "cure" so I am reluctant to take it.
I have read a lot and I know that taking A LOT of care of your diet and getting regular exercise helps with the hormone imbalance. I have a few questions for you I hope you don't mind!

1) I am planning to begin laser treatment too but I did read that if you have a hormonal imbalance its better to get that sorted out before you attempt laser or you won't get the results you want. Do you think that's true? Its nice to hear the opinion of another person rather than an article that may or may not be sponsored by pharmaceutical companies.
2) I read a lot of good things about Metformin which I really wanted to take for my depression(associated with PCOS sadly). What is your opinion on that and Clomid? I know many people use Metformin for acne caused by PCOS but I am so reluctant to put things in my body that may make the situation worse.

Lastly, what do you think is the best way to deal with PCOS if not birth control?

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Re: facial hair due to PCOS :(

honestly, Im not a doctor, so I cant give you all the advice you need. But from my experience, and that of my cousins, I can tell you what I think.

For laser hair removal, everyone is right, without getting your hormones balanced, you wont see the results you want, especially in places like your face. I have started full body laser, my legs have gotten really good results, and so has my bikini area. I had done laser 2 times before on my face (7 sessions each time), and the hair on my face was still really bad. I am doing it again now, with my full body, but I am still in the process (have only had 3 sessions so far), and so far its pretty good, but I cant tell you for sure. I think that is something to talk to your doctor about.

2) Because I am not trying to get pregnant, the doctor will not prescribe metformin or Clomid. I started doing my own research, and found a herb called "Vitex", it is also called "Chasteberry". this is all natural, and you can buy it in most health food stores (I live in Canada, so its readily available here). This is a natural product, and its supposed to help regulate hormones/period/pms symptons. I have been taking it for about 2.5 months now, but it usually takes about 3 months to fully take effect. However, I have already noticed a difference. Before, I wouldnt know when to expect my period, but now it has become more regular, and my cycle is getting shorter as well (before it was anywhere from 32-46 days). Now it is 33 days, but I can count on it coming after 33 days, and who knows, if I take it for 3 more months, maybe it will get even shorter. You can only take Vitex for 18 months straight, before you have to stop and take a break for a few months. DO NOT TAKE IT IF YOU ARE PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My cousin is trying to get pregnant. She was on clomid, but it did not help her. Now she is taking Metformin, and her periods are becoming more regular, and she is losing weight as well (having a healthy weight is very important if you have PCOS).

I think one of the best things for PCOS, is to work out 5-6 days a week (even just a walk around the neighbourhood). And try not to eat too much sweets/rice/white bread. I know this is hard, because our pakistani kanaa is based on rice and roti. But do try to have lots of fresh fruit and fresh vegetables, and exercise whenever you can. this really does help in balancing hormones. I have started more regular exercise, and I have lost a little bit of weight so far, and also with taking Vitex, my period is becoming more regular. As for the hair, Im counting on laser hair removal....I can give you more updates after each session that I have.

I hope that helps!

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Re: facial hair due to PCOS :(

^wow... 2 x 7 lots of sessions and people still say 'LHR is great for the face'. Just because hair is shedding and you're getting hair free periods during treatments, it doesn't mean it's permanent will stay that way when you stop treatment.

I'm sure you will get the results you want on your legs and anywhere where the hair is dark and coarse but the rest.. don't count on it. Areas with finer hairs will come back after you stop treatments in all likelihood i.e. upper arms, torso.

Skin types I-III that are treated with an Alex can go a bit further to reduce the finer hairs as it's more aggressive than the YAG. Darker skinned people can really only treat coarser, darker hairs permanently.

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Thanks!! It is always good to hear from a "normal" person as opposed to a doctor. I am trying the healthy diet but I realized I can give up most things except for bread lol Do update with your laser hair removal results if you can :)

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OMG WHAT A GREAT THREAD!!! sooo I have been lasering for a while now on my face. Due to tons and tons of stress over the past year I have gained a significant amount of weight and here follows PCOS. So I went to my obgyn (i’m Not married) and my doctor said the hair growth can be three factors: my thyroid, possible pre diabetic symptoms, or pcos. I was concerned because I’ve always been regular but for the past few months I have missed my period etc. I had all the blood work done and everything came out fine. Because of extra weight gain your testosterone levels get high and that is why you grow extra facial hair. He prescribed yaz because it helps with normalizing your testosterone levels etc etc. I had been on yaz last year for endometriosis but after three months on it I was spotting so I decided to go off it. If you go on birth control to control your pcos then when you go off it depending on whatever the reasons are that caused the pcos in the first place, the hair is likely to grow back. The birth control “masks” pcos symptoms but does not solve the problem. You need to look at what may possibly be causing your pcos and work on that so that if you need to go off birth control then you won’t have hair growing back. As far as birth control and wanting to get pregnant, that is something you’d have to ask your doctor but there are plenty of women who have been on birth control for years, go off of it to try and have a baby and after a couple of months they are pregnant :slight_smile: the best thing about birth control is that is makes you face glow and gives you the BEST skin ever :slight_smile:

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Re: facial hair due to PCOS :(

Laser works but does not get rid of the hair. Everyone thinks that lasering gets rid of the hair forever but what people don't know is that you have "maintain" it forever. Hair does grow back. When my laser doctor asked about the excess facial hair I told her about the pcos and she also said that the birth control AND laser will mask all your symptoms ie.excess hair but you need to get to the root of the problem. My obgyn also saw a low carb diet is best for me and I have been trying to work out and I know it's not going to be quick but I would rather die at the gym then have more hair on my face :'(

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Re: facial hair due to PCOS :(

and there is a solution to PCOS: lose weight.

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but its not soooo easy for a person with PCOs to loose weight...

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Re: facial hair due to PCOS :(

it's harder for people with PCOS to lose weight than it is for a "normal" person to lose weight. It is easy to suggest a solution like this, but unless you are actually in the situation, you dont understand the difficulties associated with it. Even still, if a person with PCOS loses weight, it does not "cure" the problem, as there is not actual cure, only treatments.

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Re: facial hair due to PCOS :(

Is there a test for PSOS? My periods are, and always have been regular, but I seem to have excess body and facial hair. My GP stated that darker skinned people tend to have more visible hairs and to have PSOS, your periods must be irriegular. But I'm not convinced! :|

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Re: facial hair due to PCOS :(

there is no specific test. You can get an ultrasound done to see if you have cysts on your ovaries, you can get a blood test done to check your hormone levels, and your blood sugar levels. but the only way the doctor can tell you if you have PCOS is to rule out any other cause of your issues. Its actually never really possible to know for sure if you have PCOS....until you start trying to have a baby. If you cant get pregnant, that is usually a sign of PCOS.

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Re: facial hair due to PCOS :(

So I have been doing a lot of research on PCOS and they do give a lot of patients glucophage/metformin which is medication for type 2 diabetics. Both of my parents are diabetics and take this. My question is what happens when you take it when you're not a diabetic and are there any alternatives? what is vittex?

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Re: facial hair due to PCOS :(

Also, skinny women who are normal to underweight can also have PCOS but not get the hair symptoms, just the acne or irregular periods. I've noticed the heavier pcos girls tend to get the worer symptoms such as the hair growth (or lack of on the head) and irregular periods, etc.

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Re: facial hair due to PCOS :(

not everyone with pcos is overweight zamana
my sister is as thin as a model and was diagnosed with pcos :(