New....main concern HAIR growth

[blue]

have increasing amounts of hair growth on face, belly and nipples. Have had over two years of Laser hair removal, two types of lasers. Waxing does not work as my WHISKERS are too thick. I shave my face, and pluck everyday ....for hours at a time, and still manage a 5:00 shadow. I got Vaniqa from the Dr. and after a few weeks of using, the hairs became ingrown.....and now my face has broken out so bad, I have discontinued use of Vaniga. I am not on any type of treatments, medications, nor have I changed my lifestyle. I do not know where to start...as I had a horrible time convincing many Doctors I have a problem. I am Depressed, pushed my friends away, my bleak outlook affects my job. I just got married.....very hard dress fittings, pictures etc. If I can combat the hair growth I might gain an emotional grasp in order to seek treatment. I had a panic attack at the docs office, and ran out crying....mainly because after examining my hair growth the Doc said WOW. Also made the appt for a female doc, waited 3 hours, and was pushed pills and diagnosis with no testing. I want to feel good about my appearance and stop lurking in the shadows.

Any thoughts on meds?

Any removal success stories?

[concernedmom]

DEar Blue,

Make sure you have your testosterone levels checked so that you can start fighting the unwanted hair from within your body. Any cosmetic measure you take will be just temporary and your hair will grow again. If you have PCOS and the excess testosterone is caused by it, it's possible they will give you metformin and maybe spironolactone. Once your testosterone levels go down the cosmetic measures will start to last longer and hopefully, the hair could get thinner. If they give you antiandrogens you will have to take birth control pills or find a very effective way of avoiding pregnancy because it affects the sex organs in a male fetus. SOme doctors use Yasmin to fight unwanted hair.
REad as much as you can so that you are not vulnerable when you go see a doctor. The better you understand what is going on with your body the easier will be for you to ask them questions, request tests, and discuss medication.

[pippi_56]

Hey Blue
I am going through the same thing as you. I was diagnosed with PCOS earlier this year and the thing I hate most about it is the excess hair. My testosterone levels are apparently normal but my body is just sensitive to it. I have tried a lot such as waxing, plucking, shaving, hair removal creams and been on spironolactone since April which has done nothing. I am still struggling with this as a problem and share your pain, just the other day my best friend made a comment (and a few weeks before that my boyfriend made a comment) which made me feel extremely down. I recently found out that spearmint tea has properties which are said to reduce excess hair growth in women, however, it is my fifth day drinking this tea (have been drinking a cup 2-3 times a day) and so am waiting to see if there are any results. At this stage I am willing to try anything.
Hope you feel a bit better knowing that you are not alone!!

[MzWrite]

pippi_56 : I tried drinking 2 cups of spearmint tea a day for a month and saw no change. I also didn't notice and difference in the way that I felt.

One of the studies I read said "...that the women receiving the spearmint demonstrated significant reductions in free and total testosterone levels and increases in luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone concentrations." And that they believed that over time there would be a reduction in the hair growth.

I don't know if it works or not, but I'm guessing it would take several months before there would be any visible difference. Also, because I can't afford to have my levels check and see if it actually is lessening the testosterone, I've stopped taking it. The same flavor tea over and over got old...

If you're going to keep trying, good luck! And you can add honey to your tea sometimes to change the flavor a bit if it gets boring. Or milk (unless you already drink it with milk, then you could try without)...or vanilla or cinnamon (haven't tried that myself).

And to you and blue : I hope that you find a way to get rid of the extra hair that works for you, I'll be wishing you luck from here.

[kb111]

Laser!

I have had a total of 3 laser session on my whole face and nape of my neck and have had no regrowth whatsoever (the laser sessions are spaced out monthly to sync with the monthly hair growth cycle).

It may be a tad pricey at the time, but it is so worth it!

[nlyates]

i wish i could afford to have laser surgery... but as a poor college student, i can't. so, i shave... twice a day... and use a final touch wand thing on my upper lip and sideburns... its so embarassing... at least my husband understands, i guess.

[Brooke]

Hi Everyone. I have PCOS and have for awhile. It never bothered my until the hair started growing. I would LOVE to hear what has worked for anyone to remove the chin hair. Its soooo dark & coarse:( Waxing and hair removal creams dont work for me. Right now Im using a battery operated shaver because I am afraid of the 5 o’clock shadow a real razor will bring. All though it does an ok job it still feels stubbly and you can see left over patches of hair. It would take me hrs to pluck all the hair so that option is out.
I tried laser years ago and I didn’t see any difference. I wasn’t on the birth control back then but I am now. So maybe that’s why? I just went to my first electrolysis apt and I saw a major difference. Although it hurts big time! The woman was very nice and said she has worked with alot of PCOS patience. She said it will take up to a year to remove it "permanently" (sadly Im not sure if that is such a thing) Anyway even if I onlly had to go every couple of months it would make a HUGE diff than waking up every morning to find ALL the hairs grown back that you worked so hard on the morning before. I know there arent quick fixes with PCOS and nothing is permanent because the body is forever changing. But even if i had to get electrolysis or laser done once a month would be a miracle compared to waking up discouraged 365 days a year.
Im a very positive person and don’t believe in giving into misfortune. But this has really got me down. I’m willing to try and anything and everything. If anyone has a positive story I would love to hear it. And also any luck with electrolysis?
Thanks for any help you can give :)

[MzWrite]

Brooke: Hi. :) If the hair isn't really really thick, then I have an idea for you.

I use a tweeze machine; it doesn't grab all the hair, but nearly all and I only need to do it about once a week. (If I'm lazy, I wait longer.) I wouldn't suggest it if the hair you get is really really thick, though, because it can be a bit painful; especially when you first start to do it.

Also, you want to make sure and do it on a day you don't need to do anything because, much like plucking, it leaves a raised red area. I try to make sure and do it when I know my dad's not going to be home for a few hours because the sight of it makes him cringe... In about an hour it's not as bad and in about 3 there's hardly anything left to see.

It's loud, it's not the least painful thing out there, and it's not permanent, but it's pretty effective and it works for me.

Just another idea to throw into the pot, hope this helps.

Good luck!

[Lee]

Brooke: Hi. :) If the hair isn't really really thick, then I have an idea for you.

I use a tweeze machine; it doesn't grab all the hair, but nearly all and I only need to do it about once a week. (If I'm lazy, I wait longer.) I wouldn't suggest it if the hair you get is really really thick, though, because it can be a bit painful; especially when you first start to do it.

Also, you want to make sure and do it on a day you don't need to do anything because, much like plucking, it leaves a raised red area. I try to make sure and do it when I know my dad's not going to be home for a few hours because the sight of it makes him cringe... In about an hour it's not as bad and in about 3 there's hardly anything left to see.

It's loud, it's not the least painful thing out there, and it's not permanent, but it's pretty effective and it works for me.

Just another idea to throw into the pot, hope this helps.

Good luck!



what is this tweeze machine that you speak of.. because I would rather pluch my chin/neck but it is time consuming... does it grab a bunch at once? Do tell :D

[monarks girl]

so i have pcos and hypothyroidism. it sucks.
i have hair on my chin and my chest. all over my chest. i tried bleaching the chest hair, but u can still see it. and it takes for ever and smells like death. ive tried the creams but it just comes back thicker for both of them. ive had the facial hair since i was 14 and the chest hair has been going for at least 3 years.
im forced to basically only wear sweat shirts and mans t-shirts because womens clothing dosnt have anything that will cover me, unless its a button up shirt that will go up to my neck. (and really i have only found 2 of them) i am 21 years old and i would LOVE to dress as a 21 year old. i have never told anyone about this but my doct my mom and my bf. my doct put me on birth-control pills and said it would clear up in 6 months. its been a year and its only gotten worse. im really sad that i cant dress the way i would like (and its not that i would show my boobs like crazy because ive never been that way) i just want to put on a scoop neck and say hey thats nice.

Its effecting my ablility to get a job as well because if i cant dress to impress , well then im not getting the job am i.

please if any of you know how to help me, let me know.
thank you

[MzWrite]

what is this tweeze machine that you speak of.. because I would rather pluch my chin/neck but it is time consuming... does it grab a bunch at once? Do tell :D

Its a little motorized thing that you can plug in or use batteries for. It's got a little spinning head with a bunch of tweezer tops. You just use it like a shaver and drag it where you want to work.

For me, it takes me about 20-40 minutes to do my chin, neck, chest, breasts, and stomach, depending on if I do it all at once. (Neck/chin about 20 minutes.) It grabs a few at the same time, but not more than about 5? Not really sure, but it doesn't feel like it takes too long. :)

Honestly it doesn't hurt on my chest, breasts, or stomach. (Someone else asked me once.) It only hurts a little on my neck but hurts more on my chin. Might be because that's where my hair is thickest.

Mine's not the "Tweeze" brand (and I sadly never remember the name), but you can find them at Walmart in the beauty care area.

If you want to see pictures, go to http://www.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi and put in tweeze. Most of the machines look very similar to that.

:)

[davidwilsoon]

Brooke: Hi. :) If the hair isn't really really thick, then I have an idea for you.

I use a tweeze machine; it doesn't grab all the hair, but nearly all and I only need to do it about once a week. (If I'm lazy, I wait longer.) I wouldn't suggest it if the hair you get is really really thick, though, because it can be a bit painful; especially when you first start to do it.

Also, you want to make sure and do it on a day you don't need to do anything because, much like plucking, it leaves a raised red area. I try to make sure and do it when I know my dad's not going to be home for a few hours because the sight of it makes him cringe... In about an hour it's not as bad and in about 3 there's hardly anything left to see.

It's loud, it's not the least painful thing out there, and it's not permanent, but it's pretty effective and it works for me.

Just another idea to throw into the pot, hope this helps.

Good luck!

what is this tweeze machine that you speak of.. because I would rather pluch my chin/neck but it is time consuming... does it grab a bunch at once? Do tell

[Mindy1389]

what is this tweeze machine that you speak of.. because I would rather pluch my chin/neck but it is time consuming... does it grab a bunch at once? Do tell

I believe what she was referring to (if you didn't already find out) is an epilator (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epilator).
I have used one myself, and they are surely nice for the legs, although I'm not sure how pleasant one would be on the chin/neck area. They may make smaller ones for this area.

[MelissaF]

Hello,
I have had a total of 3 laser session on my whole face and nape of my neck and have had no regrowth whatsoever the laser sessions are spaced out monthly to sync with the monthly hair growth cycle.
Its really worthy and you must go for it.
Ali.

[hevero@verizon.net]

Was that laser treatment for fiar ski and dark hair? WHat kind of laser was used?

thanks so much.

Helen:D

[punkerellaxkris]

.. I have a full beard, all over my chest and breasts, stomach, arms and legs. I shave in the morning and by the evenings it is already stubbly again. If I go a day without shaving ppl mistake me for a man on the sidewalk or drive thru. I am 22 years old, i'll be 23 in Feb. and i've been dealing with this since I hit puberty, but it got really bad when I was 17. I didn't get diagnosed with PCOS until I was 19. I don't have money for the laser treatments or anything and I don't have health insurance so I can't go to the doctor. The birth control didn't work on me, it makes me very, very sick. And the doctor told me even on birth control it won't help with the hair growth. I'm also over weight and depressed and I have the dark skin around my privates that is rare?
My self esteem is non-existent at this point. I don't go out with friends, I don't have a boyfriend, I rarely visit family or go out of the house when i'm off work. Luckily I have a job where I don't have to see people very much, I work graveyard in home health care. People made fun of me for being fat in HS and I still have emotional scars from that.
I'm tired of feeling so worn down all the time. I think if the hair would go away I might have the confidence to go out and meet some friends, maybe even a boyfriend. Last time I was at the doctors and they checked my fertility they said that if I didn't have a baby in the next few years I wouldn't. And they told me every year my chances of becoming pregnant decrease rapidly.
I just feel like nothing good is ever going to happen to me. And I cry all the time and i'm so depressed. :(