Shaving, waxing and threading may provide temporary solutions for excess hair growth associated with PCOS; however, many women seeking permanent solutions often opt for laser therapy as it offers permanent results if their skin type suits it and their budget allows for regular sessions.
1. Electrolysis
Electrolysis offers permanent hair removal by targeting the root of a follicle. A technician inserts a thin needle into each follicle before sending an electric current through it to destroy it. Electrolysis may be uncomfortable; its intensity depends on both your pain tolerance and where you’re having treated; typically groin and upper lip treatments tend to be most uncomfortable.
Electrolysis can also be used to treat ingrown hairs and folliculitis, an inflammation of the hair follicle that leads to red bumps or pus-filled bumps around it. Before your appointment, antibacterial cleaners containing benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid will help prevent infection – it should be noted, however, that electrolysis is considered cosmetic procedure and thus not covered by insurance plans.
Electrolysis may be a permanent hair removal method, but multiple sessions will likely be necessary before seeing results. On average, women typically need six to 12 sessions for results to become permanent; this method is fast, pain-free and is an ideal option for women with PCOS who seek permanent solutions for unwanted hair growth.
Women living with PCOS frequently experience unwanted hair growth on areas like their face, chin or bikini line that is unattractive. Furthermore, hormonal fluctuations associated with PCOS can lead to hair thinning on various parts of their bodies – while shaving and waxing may provide temporary relief, most women searching for long-term solutions for this issue are looking for permanent solutions for this concern.
Women living with PCOS often cannot stop the excessive hair growth associated with their condition due to hormonal imbalances and not genetics or obesity, but this does not leave them without options when it comes to eliminating unwanted hair growth – laser and electrolysis treatments have proven more successful than simply taking oral contraceptives or birth control pills alone in terms of permanent hair removal for PCOS women.
2. Waxing
Not like shaving, waxing actually removes hair at its source – and will cause it to grow back softer and finer, helping prevent ingrown hairs. Unfortunately this solution only offers temporary results; therefore regular waxing sessions will be required in order to maintain these results.
Many women living with PCOS find hirsutism to be one of their most distressing symptoms. Hirsutism, characterized by thick, dark hair in areas typically associated with men’s body hair such as facial, armpits, chest, legs and buttocks is typically an indicator that something else may be at play; its source remains unexplained in 10 percent of cases (idiopathic hirsutism).
Women living with PCOS often experience excess hair growth due to hormonal imbalance. Excess androgen can trigger thicker, darker locks – creating an eye-catching appearance as well as skin problems such as acne and itching.
Short-term solutions like shaving and tweezing may help temporarily diminish unwanted hair, but are ineffective as long-term solutions. Shaving can also cause painful razor burn and irritation while time-consuming procedures may not be suitable for large areas like arms or legs.
Waxing is an ideal method for permanently eliminating unwanted body hair, providing longer term results while being less invasive than shaving or other methods such as plucking. There is a range of different waxes available such as soft and hard wax that are designed to be gentle on the skin as well as sugar wax that uses natural ingredients such as lemon and sugar that work by pulling unwanted hairs out at their roots.
While shaving can lead to skin damage, cuts, and unpleasant smells, waxing is safe for the skin and leaves no marks or bruises behind. Careful preparation before and after waxing sessions is key in order to minimize discomfort; pre-wax products like Starpil’s Original Pre-Wax Gel may help exfoliate dead cells while also helping prevent ingrown hairs.
3. Laser Hair Removal
Excessive hair growth is a particularly troublesome symptom of PCOS that can be both frustrating and embarrassing for sufferers. Rising levels of testosterone lead to thick and unwanted hair growth on areas like the face, breasts, belly, arms and legs; though normal women usually produce thinner and coarser strands than these areas do. Even once removed these coarser hairs can take time to grow back despite attempts at removal.
Traditional hair removal methods like shaving, waxing and creams may only produce temporary results for PCOS-induced hair growth; if you feel self-conscious about how much body hair there is due to this condition there are permanent solutions. Laser Hair Removal offers safe, effective and long term solutions to address PCOS related unwanted body hair.
Laser hair removal works by emitting a powerful beam of light that is directed directly at unwanted hair follicles in their anagen phase of development, damaging and inhibiting their ability to create new hair growth. It can be applied on any area of the body and usually requires six treatments at monthly intervals to see maximum results, though sometimes additional sessions may be necessary for specific clients; once complete, annual touch-ups should be scheduled in order to keep unwanted hair at bay.
Laser hair removal not only reduces excess hair growth, but it can also be used to effectively treat acne, shrink enlarged pores and improve stretch marks and scars. Best of all, it is non-invasive with no negative side effects compared to electrolysis or hair transplants which provide permanent hair removal options.
If you would like more information about permanent hair reduction, contact us and set up a complimentary consultation with one of our board-certified dermatologists. They can assess your skin tone and type to determine if you qualify as a candidate for permanent hair removal.
4. Threading
Women living with PCOS face an uphill battle when it comes to unwanted hair growth. While shaving, waxing, and threading may temporarily resolve their issue, many are searching for a permanent solution.
Threading is an alternative to waxing that removes hair at its source for more effective removal, yet without professional guidance it can be risky.
For this method to work efficiently, a piece of cotton thread about the thickness of dental floss must first be twisted into a loop resembling a small lasso [source: WebMD]. Once this loop has been secured, practitioners then quickly move it over rows of hairs grabbing them at their roots and pulling them out – much faster than tweezing for short rows of unwanted hair removal.
Threading allows a specialist to easily shape eyebrows by trimming them at their base rather than pulling individual hairs, and can also be used on other parts of the face to remove unwanted hairs. Furthermore, unlike waxing which may damage skin cells by pulling too hard, threading has minimal contact with skin and does not put you at risk of burns or chemical peels [source: WebMD].
Threading may be relatively new in Western countries, but has been practiced for centuries in Eastern countries such as Middle East and South Asia. Now becoming popular here in America as it does not involve chemicals or shaving the skin and thus may be less irritating for people with sensitive skin. Threading also has less pain than tweezing while sometimes even providing greater precision than waxing [source: WebMD].
Before choosing any method for shaping eyebrows, it’s essential that you understand its advantages and disadvantages. Furthermore, once your eyebrows have reached their normal length and thickness levels, it is recommended to wait two weeks after using any products containing retinol to minimize risks such as redness and damage; additionally avoid sunbathing immediately prior to waxing or threading sessions.
