Abi__

Hiya. I know young people are meant to be geniuses on computers, but i swear it took me a good half an hour to find out how to post on here, i think i was making it a lot harder than it really is!

Anyway, I'm a 16 year old girl, about to turn 17 in August, and i have always been concerned / confused by the rate and amount of hair i seem to grow around my bikini line on my upper thigh and on my upper lip. And more recently my belly and nipples (although these are dark but thin).

I have fairly pale skin and to date i am not aware of any family history of excessive hair growth.

My bikini line is the most prominant and annoying aspect of my hair growth as the other areas are somewhat manageable. Being young i would like to be able to enjoy going out and wearing bikinis etc. without having to worry about covering it all up. Its made harder by the fact i know my friends don't have the same problem. I do try to maintain a smooth bikini line, but this is becoming increasingly hard as even when i do, the hairs on my upper leg seem to still be visible and possibly trecking further down my thigh - i tend to try and leave the lighter thinner hairs, but i think they're just getting darker etc. reguardless.

I have just come off a form of birth control called cerazette (the pill - without estrogen (i can't take it because of migraines -darn things!) we really didn't see eye to eye - it worsened the regularity of my periods and generally left me feeling tired etc. However, this was still apparent before i was on the pill.

The reason i mention this is because the more i read the more i feel i have some kind of hormonal imbalance. I don't know whether i'm just being a bit of a hypocrondriact , or whether it could just be my age (because before puberty it was all peachy)

I hate to be overly discriptive, and i'm sorry if this is too much, but my bikini line ventures about 4cm's past the crease (can't think of any other way to describe it). As i'm unsure whether all of this is normal i thought i would just see if anyone had anything to say about it all, as it is something that does hinder how confident i feel about my body.

I'd feel a bit silly talking to a doctor as i am quite young. ( I did read a very helpful article on this website - under this thread, and the things i experience did match a lot of the symptons mentioned on this page)
Sorry if this is boring and repetitive, but it would be helpful if i could get some feedback. Thank you x

elocinintherain

Hi there, welcome to the board!
First off, don't ever be afraid to talk to your doctor about anything! If you don't like your doctor or clinic, shop around until you find one you like. I know it can be scary, but I wish that I had asked my doctor to run some simple tests when I was 17. There is substantial proof that pcos symptoms can start as early as age 9 (or right before the girl begins puberty). I know that I have been hairy and overweight and boyish since age 8. Ask your doctor to run a blood panel, and to check your testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone. Talk to your doctor about the hirsutism (the excess hair) and treatments for it. If you think you might fit the symptoms for pcos, talk to your doctor about that too. Besides, the "worst" that could happen from these talks is that you come away with more information and knowledge about a definite diagosis or a clean bill of health. If you are 17 and on your parent's insurance, this definitely might be the best time to ask your doc these questions, since some of the treatments for hirsutism and pcos can get a bit pricey... good luck!