Both electrolysis and laser hair removal work for women with PCOS, but it's important to manage your expectations. While some patients reported a growth delay of 2-6 months after just one treatment, most will need multiple sessions to achieve permanent hair reduction.
Electrolysis is the only type of hair removal approved by the FDA as a permanent way of removing hair. 1 For the thousands of women with PCOS electrolysis is a great option to permanently get rid of thick hair that often grows on their face, chest, and back.
A hormonal imbalance may result in increased hair regrowth after laser hair removal procedures. Alternatively, laser hair removal may remove existing hair, but excess male hormones will rapidly stimulate regrowth.
Effects of Androgens on Hair Growth
If your hair follicles are hormone-sensitive, androgens may cause some vellus hairs to change to terminal hairs. Terminal hair is longer, darker, and more coarse than vellus hair, and grows faster and thicker.
Lifestyle changes. Losing your body weight can reduce your androgen levels and stop excessive facial hair growth. You can change your diet, reduce sugar intake, and exercise regularly to help reduce body weight.
“The lasers we use penetrate less than one millimeter into the skin, so there's no way they could reach your ovaries. But even if they did—which they never, ever could—they wouldn't do anything, anyway. They work on pigment and have no bearing on fertility.” Therefore, there's nothing to worry about.
Or, the laser treatments may remove the existing hair, but the excess male hormones (testosterone) will stimulate regrowth quickly, meaning woman or men receiving hormone replacement therapy at the time of hair removal may see the decrease of hair after treatment but will have more regrowth than someone who is not ...
This shedding process can take 10-14 days post treatment. And during this time, it may appear as though the hair is growing back thicker and darker. However, this is simply the hair follicle shedding the treated hair.
For the best results, we recommend a course of 8 treatments, but this can vary slightly depending on the client.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal and metabolic condition that can cause unwanted hair growth. Electrolysis is a permanent hair removal option, but it requires multiple sessions and can be costly. Electrolysis is a cosmetic procedure used to remove unwanted hair.
Laser hair removal can be dangerous in inexperienced hands. Burns, permanent changes to your skin color, and scars can occur. You can greatly reduce the risk of possible side effects by having your treatment performed by a medical doctor who is extremely skilled in using lasers and has in-depth knowledge of the skin.
Over time, the treated follicles may recover from the initial damage and grow hair again. It's a tall order to eliminate every hair follicle in a given area. Therefore, you may notice a tiny amount of hair regrowth.
Hair color
Without melanin in the hair follicles, natural blondes, natural white, grey and redheads won't benefit from laser hair removal.
If your hair growth is a result of hormonal imbalance, laser hair removal might not work at all for your excess facial and body hair. If you believe that your excess hair might be related to hormonal imbalance, consider having a medical evaluation prior to your laser treatment.
Laser hair removal is a great way of removing unwanted facial hair if you suffer from PCOS. In fact the treatment is a great solution to remove hair and stop you having to shave, wax or pluck daily.
No, laser hair removal can not cause infertility. The only area affected by the laser is the surface of your skin, pigment and hair follicles. The laser will not be able to penetrate any further to your organs/ or ovaries.
A laser hair removal is a simple and straightforward treatment and according to RealSelf website, it has at least a 92% satisfactory rating from clients. As long as you get your laser treatment from an experienced provider, there are low chances of ever regretting the procedure or being disappointed with your results.
While PCOS causes excess facial hair, some females also experience a thinning of the hair on the head. The exact causes of PCOS are unclear. However, having overweight can lead to insulin resistance, which is one possible cause of PCOS.
Lea Michele
The Glee star has opened up about being diagnosed with PCOS after experiencing severe acne and fluctuating weight. “The side effects [of PCOS] can be brutal — like weight gain and bad skin,” Lea shared with Health. “I went to a great doctor, and the minute she looked at me, she was like, 'Oh, you have PCOS.
However, their PCOS hormonal imbalance does not change with age, so they may continue to have symptoms of PCOS. Also, the risks of PCOS-related health problems, such as diabetes, stroke, and heart attack, increase with age. These risks may be higher in women with PCOS than those without.
Unwanted hair growth on the face, body and buttocks is a common symptom of PCOS, caused by the increased level of circulating male hormones (androgens), mainly testosterone. Inofolic Alpha can help balance hormone levels resulting in a much-improved situation.
For women with hirsutism related to PCOS, shaving is considered the preferred approach rather than plucking. Pulling or tweezing hairs is not advocated because it can further traumatize the hair follicle, causing irritation or infection.