PCOS can lead to excessive hair growth that requires constant management, making life increasingly challenging and time consuming. Both waxing and laser hair removal may help alleviate hirsutism symptoms.
Electrolysis and laser treatment both offer permanent results; however, treating the root cause of PCOS will produce optimal outcomes. Laser treatment is quick and painless.
Waxing
If you suffer from PCOS, excess hair growth can be extremely frustrating. Luckily, there are various effective solutions available to eliminate it – including waxing which removes it at its roots for long-lasting results.
As opposed to shaving, waxing uses warm mixtures that are applied directly onto body areas like legs or arms, depending on which method (soft wax or otherwise) is being employed. Once applied, strips may then be placed over it and pulled off – pulling hair out at its roots as a result, which eliminates an entire hair follicle thus leading to finer and less dense growth than would have occurred without waxing.
Women typically experience minimal to no discomfort from waxing treatments, though results may depend on skin sensitivity and who performs the service. It is essential to follow pre and post-wax skin care guidelines in order to reduce irritation and minimize pain from waxing procedures; using products like Starpil’s Original Pre-Wax Gel may help ease discomfort by cleansing skin thoroughly before waxing begins and clearing away dead cells or grime build-up before commencing waxing procedures.
Laser hair removal offers another effective and long-term hair reduction method. It works by targeting hormone-sensitive follicles; and when performed by professionals in an outpatient clinic setting or outpatient environment. Technicians use handheld devices with needles inserted to pierce each hair follicle before administering electrical charges to destroy or severely damage them.
Laser treatment works to diminish any remaining hair by targeting pigment in its follicle, leaving surrounding skin looking soft and silky smooth.
Some women with PCOS experience a noticeable reduction in hair growth after undergoing laser hair removal treatments. Although not 100% permanent, laser removal provides faster and more effective hair removal than waxing or shaving alone. Women who suffer from PCOS often benefit from laser treatment even more as their hormone-sensitive follicles are more prone to male-pattern hair growth due to the condition – so seeking diagnosis early and treating symptoms before hair removal becomes an issue is vitally important.
Shaving
Women living with PCOS often have excessive facial and body hair growth that can be embarrassing and discomforting. While this is completely normal, it can become uncomfortable and cause feelings of self-consciousness. Luckily, there are ways to decrease unwanted hair growth and make it less obvious; quick solutions such as shaving, tweezing and waxing may temporarily help but may leave the hair looking rough and unruly over time; therefore laser or electrolysis treatments provide long-term solutions to address excessive hair growth caused by PCOS.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, or PCOS, is an endocrine disorder affecting 10-12% of women worldwide. The condition results in an excess of androgen (male hormone that causes hirsutism). Other symptoms may include irregular menstrual cycles, infertility, weight gain, acne breakouts and even balding. Due to its difficulty of diagnosis many sufferers go undetected for many years; one classic sign being an increase of androgen-fueled hair growth on face, chests or abdomen.
Shaving can be painful and abrasive, leading to ingrown hairs or snags which cause itching. Furthermore, unwanted hair regrowth often happens quickly which makes managing it frustratingly.
Though there are various methods for removing excess hair, each option works better on certain parts of the body than others. While they can be expensive and temporary solutions may not always be effective for everyone, most will likely find these approaches effective for at least some level of hair growth. Therefore, it is crucial that any new growth be discussed with medical professionals as it could indicate an overactive thyroid or another underlying problem that needs further examination.
Terminal hair differs from vellus hair in that it is thick and dark in colour, usually found on the neck, chin, sideburn area and upper lips but sometimes also seen on cheeks or ears. While some people choose to embrace their hirsutism and wear it proudly; Allure recently interviewed women living with hirsutism who shared their stories. Alma Torres wears her beard to “show people it is okay for women with facial hair to exist”, while Adriana Javier sees her beard as a middle finger to repressive social norms.
Electrolysis
One of the most frustrating and embarrassing side effects of PCOS can be unwanted facial or body hair growth. Although this condition is quite prevalent, unwanted hair growth can still be managed using hormone therapy, medical treatments and cosmetic hair removal techniques like shaving, waxing and laser epilation.
Electrolysis stands apart from most other hair removal methods by permanently eliminating hair growth centers in hair follicles – thus stopping new hair growth altogether and making electrolysis the only permanent hair removal method suitable for all hair colors and skin types.
Modern medical electrolysis devices use a small needle, often finer than the hair being removed, to insert into hair follicles and inject a small current of electricity that destroys hair growth cells in each follicle, then unwanted hair can be plucked off using tweezers. Most patients don’t experience any discomfort during this procedure though individual tolerance levels vary significantly.
Medical electrolysis offers much more than simply hair reduction – in addition to eliminating unwanted hair, medical electrolysis is also useful for alleviating various skin issues, including ingrown hairs and flare-ups of fibromyalgia, and providing permanent relief from conditions like psoriasis and dermatitis.
Electrolysis can be an effective and safe solution to reverse unexplained hair growth caused by hormone fluctuations from polycystic ovary syndrome. When choosing your electrologist, make sure they’re certified by an professional organization; speak to friends or family who have had their own treatments as references; check that workers wear gloves and disposable needles during your consultation session; choose one who focuses on hair reduction specifically.
If you have excessive hair growth, one effective strategy for controlling it may be combining hormonal therapies and physical treatments such as shaving, waxing and laser epilation. This will ensure that hormone changes don’t trigger hair follicles to produce new hair while optimizing any medication taken to treat your condition.
Laser Hair Removal
Laser light emits a beam directly targeting hair follicles to prevent new hair growth, making this treatment an effective means for decreasing excess hair growth caused by PCOS.
PCOS affects approximately five million women of reproductive age in the US and can lead to various symptoms, such as acne, irregular periods and excess hair growth due to elevated levels of androgens (male sexual hormones) present. High levels of androgens lead to darker, coarser hair on both the face and body growing faster as a result of being produced more.
Women living with PCOS typically require six or more laser hair removal sessions before experiencing significant hair reduction, due to fluctuating hormones that affect those affected by PCOS and taking time for the laser light to disable hair follicles permanently.
When hair is in its anagen stage (growth phase), it absorbs heat from a laser light, which in turn damages or destroys it, creating an experience similar to snapping rubber bands or sunburn-like sensations. Laser treatments unlike waxing and shaving which pull hair out from its follicle directly can more effectively control unwanted hair growth than alternatives like waxing and shaving.
Laser hair removal sessions vary based on factors like skin tone, hair color and treatment area. People with darker or thicker locks typically need additional sessions than those with thin or fine locks.
Women with PCOS should avoid tanning and plucking or tweezing hair in areas to be treated prior to receiving laser hair removal treatments, taking medications which increase bleeding and wearing protective eyewear during hair removal sessions for best results.
