Hirsutism?

sc00typuff

Please feel free to post your hair removal routine. I am looking for alternatives to get rid of that annoying body hair some of us PCOS suffer from. Currently I have been shaving my arms but the hair grows back that day and having very sensitive skin, I get ingrown hair or irritated quite easily. I tweeze the few hairs that have grown on my chin, but I do have dark hair on my cheeks under my eyes and I'm wondering how to get rid of it without getting laser hair removal. Does laser hair removal work? Does losing weight reduce hair growth? Anything will help!
Also I am new to this group, so feel free to add me.

Alliwan

I do not have a major problem with hair but my daughter does. I pluck the two i get on my chin but she's a hairy girl. She bleaches her mustache and has to shave her legs and armpits every other day at least.

I know there are others here who have had a hard time with the hair. I know others will have better ideas.

BUT once you get your hormones in order the hair is better. If you read thru a lot of the posts here you will see that most of us benefit greatly from using things like Inositol, Metformin, Spiro, and a LCHF diet. All of these things can greatly improve your hormone imbalance and that can help the hair issues.

Hope someone here can give you better ideas than me. Welcome to the PCOSer!

ShrinkingBerry

I'm new here and trying read a bunch of posts. What is LCHF?

KnitOrMiss

Low Carb High Fat (and moderate protein). It is a way of eating that helps many with PCOS, particularly those with insulin resistance. The link to a great group that might be able to explain more is: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group. Check out the launchpad file for more information there.

ShrinkingBerry

I just joined! Thanks! I've had PCOS for many, many years but i just started trying to do something about it. I'm loving this group already!

KnitOrMiss

That group can be overwhelming with the number of posts and information, but the people there are amazing and understanding, and between these groups, I finally feel like I've found "my people." I had PCOS for decades without knowing, then told "maybe" before finally being treated for it... I'll tell you though, switching to this WOE (way of eating) has helped more than anything else I've done...combine that with medications and supplements, and my quality of life, energy, etc. has improved so much, I can't even quantify it. Best of luck to you.

ShrinkingBerry

Looking forward to similar results for myself, especially mood and energy increase!

ohheythatgirl

I have a problem with extra hair. I grow two patches on my neck that I have to shave every day, and I'm prickly by the end of the night. When I was taking licorice root the hair growth slowed way way down. I'm hoping to eventually get laser hair removal once I'm done having kids and my hormones are under control. That's the key for any "permanent" hair removal is having your levels within range...

They sell a pretty cheap electrolysis hair removal system on Amazon, I can't remember the name of it but that's an inexpensive (albeit time-consuming) method of permanent hair removal you can do on your own. I haven't had much luck with it because I would need my husband to help me and I'm too embarrassed to ask him, ha ha. I'm also interested in the Tria but I can't afford one right now.

As far as ingrown hair/bumps make sure you're exfoliating; I've found that in shaving any area of my body if I exfoliate well I get a better shave.

Journeywithyou

My physician recently put me in spiro for this reason. It has slowed the growth she has upped my dosage to the max allowed. Recently started cutting back on my carbs hoping that will help as well.

ohheythatgirl

Journeywithyou wrote: »

My physician recently put me in spiro for this reason. It has slowed the growth she has upped my dosage to the max allowed. Recently started cutting back on my carbs hoping that will help as well.

Spiro definitely helped me with my acne and hair growth! But, do not take if TTC!

ShrinkingBerry

[/quote]

Spiro definitely helped me with my acne and hair growth! But, do not take if TTC!

[/quote]

Why no spiro if ttc?

ohheythatgirl

Any anti-androgen is bad to take if pregnant. It's my understanding that the effects of spiro don't go away very quickly once you stop taking them so it could interfere. I took licorice root until the day I got my BFP. I would have stopped spiro for awhile if I'd been on it though.

Journeywithyou

Spiro definitely helped me with my acne and hair growth! But, do not take if TTC!

[/quote]

Thanks for the advice. TTC is not in my future. My last delivery was very traumatic ending with the strong advise to not have any additional children.

ShrinkingBerry

[/quote]
My last delivery was very traumatic ending with the strong advise to not have any additional children.
[/quote]

I'm really sorry to hear that.

A_Dabauer

I'm hairy like a man I've obviously the worst issues are the places I can't hide. So my face mostly I did a year plus of laser hair removal on my face among other places. It works moderately well on hormonal hair growth as long as you keep going. Areas I had treated with out hormonal hair growth, are still hair free, but the rest has come back.

Inositol is supposed to reduce androgens (I've been on it 6 months) and have noticed very little effect. I've also recently started on testoquench for women which has a few herbals in it for androgen reduction, I'm hoping to see favourable results for with that.

In the interm, I pluck, thread, and shave the obvious spots, live with the hair in the less obviously ones.

A_Dabauer

I should have added I was hairy before I was fat, so I don't see skinny as a solution for me. That being said, I have consistently noticed new areas of hair growth when I'm having issues with my weight. So in my opinion, weight certainly plays a factor but I don't think it is a cure, at least in my case. Other people may have different experiences.

KnitOrMiss

Hormone balance is more important IM-NSH-O...than weight. With balanced hormones, so many other options are available!

A_Dabauer

Totally agree knit working on hormone balancing, fingers crossed that the hair issues will fade in time.

Journeywithyou

ShrinkingBerry wrote: »

My last delivery was very traumatic ending with the strong advise to not have any additional children.
[/quote]

I'm really sorry to hear that.
[/quote]

Thank you - My husband does not get why I am sad because of this. We have three beautiful children and likely we would not have any additional at this point with the struggles even getting pregnant. But I feel that was a choice he and I should have made and not one made for me by the doctors. I get the why but it does not change how I feel that something was taken from me.

KnitOrMiss

Journeywithyou wrote: »

ShrinkingBerry wrote: »

My last delivery was very traumatic ending with the strong advise to not have any additional children.

I'm really sorry to hear that.
[/quote]

Thank you - My husband does not get why I am sad because of this. We have three beautiful children and likely we would not have any additional at this point with the struggles even getting pregnant. But I feel that was a choice he and I should have made and not one made for me by the doctors. I get the why but it does not change how I feel that something was taken from me.
[/quote]

Men struggle to understand this, because to them, many times, the whole process is a mystery and nature's magic anyway. We are biologically engineered to feel this way. I wanted to more than one child, but nature did not see that working for me, and in some ways, I'm thankful for that now, but I will always suffer the loss of a child through miscarriage and I will also have a smaller feeling of sadness over not having more. My life is full and blessed, and yet those things will always be in the back of my mind.

I'm so sorry that things were decided for you. I have a condition NOW, not when nature didn't think I needed any more babies, that would make pregnancy for me difficult and high risk, but should the accident ever happen, I would not end a child's life for my own. Like you, I struggle with thankfulness for what I do have, and still a level of bitterness that even though I don't really *want* any more children as of now that it is no longer a choice I get to make without being insane enough to risk being selfish enough to chance taking a mother away from my kiddo...

It's a psychological struggle. My heart aches for you. (hugs)

Journeywithyou

Understanding what it is like a refreshing feeling. I recently told my husband that I get it that he does not get it because he is not built that way. I think he sees my sadness of being robbed as not understanding his side of standing in the hallway as they wheeled me away not knowing the outcome of me or our son.

KnitOrMiss

Journeywithyou wrote: »

Understanding what it is like a refreshing feeling. I recently told my husband that I get it that he does not get it because he is not built that way. I think he sees my sadness of being robbed as not understanding his side of standing in the hallway as they wheeled me away not knowing the outcome of me or our son.

Did you guys go through any counseling? It might help you both to recognize each other's grief and fear in this situation in a way that the other can understand and appreciate. I have to say things to my guy in a completely different way than I would need him to say them to me for me to really FEEL it and not just hear it. If you've never tried it, the "Five Love Languages" quizzes are quite insightful to communication each other "get" better.

Journeywithyou

We actually have the book Five Love Languages did a study on it at Church some time back. I found the book so insightful I bought the Five Love Languages for Children. Its not something we fight about as much as we have different experiences from the same event. It only really comes up when we have opportunity to share the story with others when relevant. And each time it is shared it brings up that feeling of something was stolen. I know I should not feel that way because so much protected that day also.

AubrieCollins

I take Saw Palmetto supplements to slow the hair growth down a little. It's pretty much my least favorite symptom.

KnitOrMiss

Journeywithyou wrote: »

We actually have the book Five Love Languages did a study on it at Church some time back. I found the book so insightful I bought the Five Love Languages for Children. Its not something we fight about as much as we have different experiences from the same event. It only really comes up when we have opportunity to share the story with others when relevant. And each time it is shared it brings up that feeling of something was stolen. I know I should not feel that way because so much protected that day also.

I'm glad to hear all of this ^^. I hope you can continue to work on getting your feelings on it to where you want them to be, but saying you shouldn't feel a certain way is insulting to your feelings. If you want to change them, that's on you - and you're well equipped to do so from the sounds of it. Getting over my miscarriage was one of the hardest things I've ever done, as well as accepting not having more kids, facing secondary infertility... It occurs to me, why are most of my mental issues woman/mommy related? That's crazy. Guess there's more time for thinking on this front, too. LOL

ravenstar25

I did actually do laser hair removal on my face a few years ago - I found it to be well worth it because it stayed gone for a few years. Nothing else works effectively to get rid of the hair. But it all grew back after a few years and I need to save up money to get it done again.
- Once the hair grows, no amount of losing weight or dietary changes will make it stop growing - it is permanent; and even thin women can have hirsuitism due to this condition, so there is no point in blaming yourself. It's just the hormones. I am taking spiro and I sometimes feel it may have thinned things out a little but it may just be my imagination, I don't think it did much.

IslandSneezerooo

I get waxed regularly. It lasts a good month before I need to do it again.

ShrinkingBerry

[/quote]

Thank you - My husband does not get why I am sad because of this. We have three beautiful children and likely we would not have any additional at this point with the struggles even getting pregnant. But I feel that was a choice he and I should have made and not one made for me by the doctors. I get the why but it does not change how I feel that something was taken from me.
[/quote]

I definitely understand that. My husband never thought he was going to have kids so he feels lucky for the two we have. I, however, grew up as part of a large extended family and wanted lots of kids, three as the bare minimum, so I feel completely cheated by this syndrome. Unprotected sex for 8 years has not resulted in a single pregnancy. Now my kids are older (12 & 14) so even if I could fix it to get pregnant, it'd be like starting a whole new family and that's not what I wanted either.

Alliwan

ShrinkingBerry wrote: »

Thank you - My husband does not get why I am sad because of this. We have three beautiful children and likely we would not have any additional at this point with the struggles even getting pregnant. But I feel that was a choice he and I should have made and not one made for me by the doctors. I get the why but it does not change how I feel that something was taken from me.
[/quote]

I definitely understand that. My husband never thought he was going to have kids so he feels lucky for the two we have. I, however, grew up as part of a large extended family and wanted lots of kids, three as the bare minimum, so I feel completely cheated by this syndrome. Unprotected sex for 8 years has not resulted in a single pregnancy. Now my kids are older (12 & 14) so even if I could fix it to get pregnant, it'd be like starting a whole new family and that's not what I wanted either.

[/quote]

Same here. I wanted a big huge family too. Like a bakers dozen but id settle for half a dozen. I got one. I love her I do but I feel like Im missing something in myself, like a part of me is missing. I mother everything i come into contact with but it isnt the same. Id love to have adopted, I didnt even need them to be my biological children but because of my one childs disability that wasnt possible either. The miscarriage I had in september was a huge blow and now my one child will be 18 in 3 weeks.

Life just isnt fair sometimes.

So Just know there are many of us here who feel your pain and frustration and sympathize with you as much as we possibly can.

Genesisobadiah

I use eye brow shappers on the patches of hair on my chin and neck! I don't have to worry about cuts and I can use them dry and quick in the mornings! I do have to use them almost every other day but it was better than bleaching hair! Those patches never fully bleached for me and they were always corse! So this was a good solution for me!

I had a coworker who recommended electrolysis from a well trained worker! She had it done in her 20's, went to complete all the treatments and has not had trouble since! She is now in her 50's no regrets! Make sure you do your research first though!!

ireadlabelsdammit

I tried a lot of things, most didn't help at all. I was having to pluck my chin daily and the ingrowns were a nightmare. A home electrolysis kit didn't work and was difficult to use. Then bought a Flash n Go laser. Best purchase ever. I got outside consults but found it very expensive and so embarrassing. A lot is gone and can do touchups whenever I need to. Results take longer for me, assuming due to the PCOS.