Hello all,

For those that suffer from PCOS, what have you done to combat the man-beard and body hairs here and there? I've had PCOS (diagnosed) since I was 18, and it's starting to get out of control. Well, it's been out of control, who am I kidding? I'm starting to get random hairs here and there on my shoulders and chest. I've had it!

I will be banded in 4 days, does the face hair go away? Have you taken spirlatone (spelling?) or the other cream stuff? What works?

I have had PCOS since I was 13. I just got banded on the 12.15.10. I have been dealing with the facial hair for a while too and it just gets worse and worse. I financed laser treatment at the American Laser Center and it has done wonders. I would recommend it to anyone who has this problem.

Good luck <3

I took the spironalactone (sp?) for a while and it made me dizzy. I am a plucker and a shaver. When I reach my weight loss goal I am totally going to have laser removal.

I was diagnosed with PCOS over 11 yrs ago and the facial hair has gotten worse and worse! I did invest in laser hair removal on my chin and it has been great, It did take additional visits though. I would love to afford to have it done all over though. Hopfully one day soon!! Good luck!

Does having laser hair removal hurt? I've always thought about, but I'm scared. Is your chin (or wherever the hair was removed from) really red and irritated for weeks after? Would love to hear from anyone who has had it done.

I was diagnosed with PCOS at 13. Had an ovarian tumor removed at 14, (it was the size of a softball). I am a extreme and rare case because I was so young when it was diagnosed. The Doctors thought the tumor was cancerous, I was sent to the UCLA Norris Cancer Hospital in L.A. for the surgery. They had no idea it was PCOS. I was only 220 lbs. when I had this surgery, I am just about 6 feet tall so my BMI was relatively low. My symptoms include skin tags (on my neck, under my arms, under my breasts, on my stomach and one on my leg), skin darkening, severe acne, and face/body hair growth, inability to lose weight, extreme irregular periods. I still don't get a period if I stop taking my birth control pills, which I did for the lap-band surgery. I was banded on December 7th 2010 and have gone from 313 to 288 lbs. I do take 300 mg spironaldactone every night, for hair growth and have been looking into laser treatments for my facial hair. I was wondering if the treatment results lasts a lifetime or do the hair follicles grow back eventually? I have been on Metaformin, and spironaldactone, for a very long time and can not wait to get off of it. Has anyone been able to loose enough weight to get off all of their PCOS meds? Thanks, K.

For me, birth control pill has stopped and reversed all the hair on my tummy, back and arms. It has significantly slowed the growth of my chin whiskers, their color and thickness. It really depends on your ethnicity and hair type as to how hairy or thick the hairs may be and it depends on your individual hormonal profile how your body reacts to PCOS, BCP, Metformin, Vaniqua or Spirlactin (hair meds). That being said, loosing weight will also help PCOS symptoms. You can see significant improvement in loosing just 10% of your current body weight.

Thanks for all the info. I have had pcos for many years, have the textbook symptoms and appearance including the facial hair. It is totally a pain. Hoping that the weightloss will help. Don't really have enough to get laser treatment right now, but would like to one day.

I dont have pcos Im just old and I have facial hair I get it waxed you get use to it and it does slow the hair growth down, chin and mustache

i do laser on my face..and it has improved very much..i barely have anything...just that its a bit pricey..

I use the Obagi system for acne on my face (it has a wash, toner, skin colour evener, glycolic acid, retin-A and sunscreen), and I've had two salycilic acid peels. I'll have another peel a couple of weeks after I get my band.

I'm starting laser hair removal for the chin/neck hair on Saturday. I also have some hair on my belly, but that doesn't bother me as much - because I'm overweight I don't really wear anything that reveals my belly anyway. Maybe as the band helps me to lose weight I'll also get laser on my belly.

No, not painful to have it done. Felt little zaps sometimes, having a Dr do it and he is using a cold laser. Red for about 2 hours after.

Does having laser hair removal hurt? I've always thought about, but I'm scared. Is your chin (or wherever the hair was removed from) really red and irritated for weeks after? Would love to hear from anyone who has had it done.

My chin doesn't get red at all from the laser. When it's being done it's like a flick from a hair band or something, and it feels hot, but that's it. No redness or soreness afterwards.

I pluck my chin daily. I've lost 50 pounds, and it seems to be getting worse, not better! I have a love/hate relationship with PCOS ! lol. I dont want to get my period every month!!!! But I do hope this hair thin slows down soon. I also have my mustache waxed and in between I shave that.

My PCOS has totally gone away, all bloods and ovary scans are clear. Only sympton I have now is the hair!

I pluck and have been having electrolysis to try and get rid of it.

I have PCOS, too! It totally sucks! I do have to admit, however, that I did enjoy not having periods..... I eventually had to have a hysterectomy, so I guess I still don't have them. I have had facial hair since highschool. I used to bleach the hair, then I started to pluck the hair because bleach wasn't enough, then I began to use cream hair remover because the hair was too coarse for the hair remover cream. Now that I am in my 30's the hair is dark and nasty just like "man" whiskers. I actually have razors all over the place. In the bathroom, in my purse, in my car.... because the !@#$ grows back in less than 24 hours!! I have had a few lazer hair treatments over the last year. I still need to have a few more to get it all, I think. I found that the procedure was painful, but not so much so that I won't go back for more. Once you get a look at yourself without the little stubble things that you can see under your skin (even after shaving)..... you realize that you would go back even if it DID hurt really bad!!! At any rate, I was really hoping that someone would say that the hair growth gets better. I can see that the only person who stopped having hair growth doesn't have PCOS. That's not what I was hoping to hear....... Oh well....

It does look like several of you have lost some weight! How has that been for people?? Difficult? Easy? Neutral? Just curious.....