after reading around about hair growth i keep running across hair loss threads. i don't know if i'm paranoid from reading about it or if it's actually happening.
i'm not really sure what to do now. i'm sixteen and my hair is coming out in wads in the shower and in my brush. i don't have bald spots but it's noticeably thinner.
my hair was the only thing normal about me. and the only thing that made me somewhat feminine.
i could shave the face/body hair off and dress pretty but there's no hiding hair loss.
i don't mean to make this sound dramatical, and please don't anyone take offense to this. but how could someone want someone that's over weight, hairy like a man, and balding like a man, small breasts, and not at all physically feminine?
the doctor put me on metformin and i've been on birthcontrol since i was around twelve.
part of me wants to shave it off now so i can just get it over with.
how do you all cope with this so well? all i do after i do anything related to my hair is cry.
If it makes you feel any better, I know exactly how you feel. I'm around your age (17) and it is really hard to deal with PCOS and the physical symptoms of it. My biggest problems are the hair loss/growth too.
My hair falls out through out the day so I can only keep my hair up or else I'll leave a trail of hair wherever I go. Maybe you can try a different hairstyle or cut that would make your hair look fuller. The only suggestion I have is just to pamper yourself as much as you can. Put on some nice perfume or lotion. Give yourself a manicure and pedicure. Make sure you give yourself some "me time" to do things that you enjoy. Keep in mind that many things can affect hair loss including your diet, stress level and the seasons. People also tend to lose the most hair in the fall when the hair reaches maturity in its growth cycle, so maybe it's not related to your PCOS.
I've been dealing with this since I was a teen myself--I'm now 32. My gosh, I just realized, I've been dealing with this for half my life!!! AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!! LOL.
All I can say is, read these posts!!! Only in the last year have I started to believe I was worth something, and it all has to do with reading the stories of others who live with this, and have loving boyfriends or husbands, who care about the inside, not the outside. I am also in therapy, and that's helped a bit, but I think reading the real-life stories of women on this site are more helpful. I have shared my story on many, many threads, but here's a quick rundown--irregular periods pretty much since puberty, started noticing facial hair around 15 or 16, diagnosed at almost 19 when I went for 4 months without my period (I was a virgin, no chance of pregnancy), started gaining weight a bit at puberty, but sophmore year of high school was horrid, put on a huge amount of weight that year. Lost weight, gained it back plus some extra, lost again, gained, back, forth, back, forth. The hair started getting dark and coarse, and more of it, then started on my chest, breasts, around the nipples, and my stomach. The last 2-3 years, noticed my naturally thin hair was thinning out a lot. I am now on bioidentical progesterone (feeling much better), but still dealing with hair issues (I found out my estrogen and progesterone levels were within a few 10ths of a percent higher than my mom's, and she's 57 and in menopause!!! According to the dr and the lab, this means that even though I have periods, I don't ovulate).
Anyway, I know it's hard, it can seem like the end of the world, and end of a dream of getting married, having kids, but it doesn't have to be unless YOU allow it to be the end.
Personal question--how is your sex drive? The only blessing I've found with my high testosterone is a very high sex drive. Chances are, a good, decent man, who loves you for you, won't be too worried about excess hair, especially if you've got a drive like his or even higher!!
I'm sort of online dating a guy, he's in Europe though, and I told him that I have a hormone imbalance that causes high testosterone levels. He didn't really care about that, or what it could cause, though he was even more interested in me than before when I told him the one good thing is a high sex drive!
Keep your chin up. It's hard, and it will take time, and hard work to praise yourself until you believe it, but you can make it through this. Best of luck!!
I've been dealing with this since I was a teen myself--I'm now 32. My gosh, I just realized, I've been dealing with this for half my life!!! AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!! LOL.
All I can say is, read these posts!!! Only in the last year have I started to believe I was worth something, and it all has to do with reading the stories of others who live with this, and have loving boyfriends or husbands, who care about the inside, not the outside. I am also in therapy, and that's helped a bit, but I think reading the real-life stories of women on this site are more helpful. I have shared my story on many, many threads, but here's a quick rundown--irregular periods pretty much since puberty, started noticing facial hair around 15 or 16, diagnosed at almost 19 when I went for 4 months without my period (I was a virgin, no chance of pregnancy), started gaining weight a bit at puberty, but sophmore year of high school was horrid, put on a huge amount of weight that year. Lost weight, gained it back plus some extra, lost again, gained, back, forth, back, forth. The hair started getting dark and coarse, and more of it, then started on my chest, breasts, around the nipples, and my stomach. The last 2-3 years, noticed my naturally thin hair was thinning out a lot. I am now on bioidentical progesterone (feeling much better), but still dealing with hair issues (I found out my estrogen and progesterone levels were within a few 10ths of a percent higher than my mom's, and she's 57 and in menopause!!! According to the dr and the lab, this means that even though I have periods, I don't ovulate).
Anyway, I know it's hard, it can seem like the end of the world, and end of a dream of getting married, having kids, but it doesn't have to be unless YOU allow it to be the end.
Personal question--how is your sex drive? The only blessing I've found with my high testosterone is a very high sex drive. Chances are, a good, decent man, who loves you for you, won't be too worried about excess hair, especially if you've got a drive like his or even higher!!
I'm sort of online dating a guy, he's in Europe though, and I told him that I have a hormone imbalance that causes high testosterone levels. He didn't really care about that, or what it could cause, though he was even more interested in me than before when I told him the one good thing is a high sex drive!
Keep your chin up. It's hard, and it will take time, and hard work to praise yourself until you believe it, but you can make it through this. Best of luck!!
i'm in the same situation with the online dating thing. i've told him about some of the things i'm not sure how'd he handle the facial hair so i just keep it quiet.
and yes, my sex drive is insane. i went to an endocrinologist and was explaining some of these things and he commented that i'm just going to have about the same sex drive of a teenage boy until/if we get things fixed. i told him it wasn't true because my sex drive is higher tahn my teenage boys is.
he doesn't seem to care about my weight and i'm trying my hardest to lose it. he puts up with my ups and downs and scattered moods and paranoia. if he just lived closer i'd be happy. and if i knew he'd accept the facial hair thing too.
i've never had good luck with the people in my town, this boy however is almost my twin. he's the first male i've trusted to any degree.
and you're right, some of the other ladies' stories have helped. but some also remind me that things might get worse before they get better.
if you're really worried about the facial hair, why don't you tell him? if he can handle your moods and all, i'm sure he'll be ok. and if not, wouldn't it be better to know now, rather than later? i'm debating the same thing with my guy.
I was just diagnosed with PCOS. I have thin hair anyway,and it is blonde so it looks thin since it is light. I have noticed recently that I seem to be losing more. It might be paranoia- I am concerned. I figure if I lose a lot I will wear a ball cap- at least I look decent in one-lol. Seriously, this is not something I really take lightly, I am married and wonder if I develop facial hair or body hair or start balding- will my hubby of 14 years still be here? I believe he will be, but I do not believe he will think I am pretty or ba attracted to me- that scares me.
Can i vent a bit? 
