Hirsutism question

locagirl · 04-19-2006, 03:43 AM

Hey all - I've had a prob with stray thick/dark hairs under my chin/neck area since college (I'm now 22 and it's now growing in the sideburn kinda area as well - I have elevated testosterone levels and am slightly overweight).

This is a pain cos I can't shave as the area just gets irritated and goes all red. I have sensitive skin so depilatories/bleaches are out and I've been advised against laser/electrolysis (which I wouldn't be able to afford anyway). I tend to pluck it all out at the moment, but I'm scared it's gonna cause permanent shadows/scarring in the areas I'm removing it.

I've read somewhere that once the follicles are activated to produce thicker/darker hair, they won't revert back to regular fine hair on their own when hormonal probs etc. clear up. As there seem to be so many differing opinions - anyone with firsthand experience of it lessening once other PCOS related issues start getting better?

My GP and endocrinologist have basically just said to me 'go away and lose weight' - has anyone just done this and found hirsutism probs to lessen?

Phoenix Rising ^^^ · 05-01-2006, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by locagirl

... - anyone with firsthand experience of it lessening once other PCOS related issues start getting better?

My GP and endocrinologist have basically just said to me 'go away and lose weight' - has anyone just done this and found hirsutism probs to lessen?

Mine didn't. It seemed to get worse no matter what. As I lost weight it seeme d like the hair was more visable. I don't know, maybe the hairs moved closer together...LOL But, to me they didn't get any better. I did eventually have electrolysis.

Could you possibly shave with an electric shaver? It might be more gentle than a regular razor.

locagirl · 05-02-2006, 01:02 AM

I have one, but it doesn't seem to get in close enough

Since that last post I've lost a bit more weight and I'm noticing that even though the hair is still there, it's taking a lot longer to grow back - hopefully it'll sort itself out, it seems that losing weight does work for some people but not others.

I just wish my doctor would find some kind of medication to help deal with my high testosterone levels rather than just telling me to lose weight (I'm fine with doing both, but while the tape measure seems to be telling me I'm shrinking a lot, the scales are showing only small amounts of weight loss). I've found that there are a lot of doctors who don't take hirsutism particularly seriously, but they don't seem to understand that it's quite a hit to the self-esteem/confidence.....

october_sky · 05-02-2006, 02:24 AM

but while the tape measure seems to be telling me I'm shrinking a lot, the scales are showing only small amounts of weight loss). I've found that there are a lot of doctors who don't take hirsutism particularly seriously, but they don't seem to understand that it's quite a hit to the self-esteem/confidence.....[/quote]

How are your clothes fitting? Looser in the waist? You're building muscle, which weighs more than fat but takes less space. Don't worry about the scale, it's only a number

Maybe doctors don't see hirsutism as a huge problem because they see much worse health problems everyday. What type of doctor do you see? If it's family practice, a gyno or endo they probably aren't trained in or worried about the mental effects, only the physical. Just a thought.

locagirl · 05-02-2006, 04:12 AM

Cheers for that - am feeling a bit better about things now. It's hard though, when my endocrinologist has said 'I'm giving you a target of 70kgs by October' and although I must be losing fat, that weight isn't getting too much different. Perhaps from now on I'll ban scales completely, stick to the tape measure and just see what happens when I step on the scales in October.....

Phoenix Rising ^^^ · 05-02-2006, 01:35 PM

...
How are your clothes fitting? Looser in the waist? You're building muscle, which weighs more than fat but takes less space. Don't worry about the scale, it's only a number

Maybe doctors don't see hirsutism as a huge problem because they see much worse health problems everyday. What type of doctor do you see? If it's family practice, a gyno or endo they probably aren't trained in or worried about the mental effects, only the physical. Just a thought.[/quote]

That's exactly what I was about to say.
For some cysters, strength training helps with high testosterone levels. Which in turn helps build muscle and weight loss eventually catches up. Don't give up! Hopefully you will see a reduction in hair.

I'm hoping I can get a Dr. who will treat my testosterone level too. I think it may be a factor in my miscarriages.