A question about weight

Emmaroo · 03-11-2004, 08:16 PM

I'm 278lbs as of today which is a 32lb loss since I started dieting - I was lead to believe from my doctor, when I lost weight my testosterone (sp?!) would drop so the excess hair would go away.... Anyone know if this is true, from experience or anything?

AmyKathleen · 03-11-2004, 10:45 PM

Not speaking from experience, but I have heard that dropping some weight will help get your body's hormones back in balance. Congrats on the weight loss!!!

jamielynn · 03-12-2004, 12:18 AM

Losing weight will most likely lower your testosterone to a normal level. That doesn't mean it will get rid of the hair. I thought that losing weight would get rid of my facial and body hair, but I still have it even tho i've lost more than 100 lbs. I've even been on spiro for more than a year and it has helped a little, but not like I had hoped. I think that once the hair has started growing, it is very hard to get it to stop regardless of testosterone levels. Sorry to sound so negative, but I don't want you to set yourself up with too much hope, only to be disappointed like I was.

Emmaroo · 03-12-2004, 09:17 AM

I always seem to get my hopes up. Thanks for the info

I'm sure theres something out there that will help us. We've just got to find it.

zdreamer25 · 03-12-2004, 07:02 PM

I was looking forward to weight loss decreasing facial hair. Hmm, maybe that is not going to happen. I have lost 40lbs so far and I do not think I notice a big difference. Although I mostly only have trouble with excess hair in that I get little black hairs around my jawline. From some of the entries I have read, that's not too bad to deal with. However, I was hoping to "fix" everything with some weight loss. AF doesn't even want to cooperate right now. I'm not sure if it's low carbing that is confusing my body or what but now I'm spotting in the middle of the cycle and everthing, like my body isn't quite sure what to do..............ugh...............

Jillybean04 · 03-12-2004, 07:13 PM

zdreamer,
Congrats on the weight loss. I am also low carbing. I am on the South Beach Diet. I don't know if you go to that board but I have read MANY posts about just what you mentioned. Many women are either spotting mid-cycle or getting another period 2 0r 3 weeks after their previous period. From what I have read, it apparently subsides and goes back to "normal" but I would say if it doesn't, call your doctor and ask. Good luck to you.

zdreamer25 · 03-12-2004, 10:22 PM

Thanks for the reply.........I'm doing the South Beach too. That is really funny that you would mention that. I have not been to that thread. Is that a thread on this site? I'll have to check it out. Obviously with PCOS, "normal" periods are something I really do not remember..........but this is even more abnormal than usual. LOL South Beach has so far been a dream come true..... I do not always eat quite as healthy as I should (I sometimes cannot find the lower fat versions of my favorite cheese or something) but otherwise, I'm loving it!!! Good luck to you as well.

KatCarney · 03-12-2004, 10:55 PM

When I lost weight, the occurence of NEW dark hairs slowed down significantly, but not until I had dropped a lot of weight (like 60+ lbs).

The hair follicles which had turned 'terminal' (ie producing the dark hairs) grew in a bit more slowly, but it took laser treatments to shut them down completely.

Congrats on your weight loss!!

Kat

Jillybean04 · 03-13-2004, 12:03 AM

I've noticed that a few days after starting spiro the facial hair began to grow at a slower rate. I couldn't believe it...but I think I am gonna talk to my doctor about that vaniqa stuff and see if I can't slow it more...or at least lighten it up because laser treatment is out of the question right now...

zdreamer...her is the link to that South Beach Forum...
South Beach Diet

Let me know whether it worked or not as I have never inserted a hyperlink before.

Smeggle · 03-13-2004, 12:46 AM

Well after being on Yasmin, I couldn't believe that my terminal nipple hairs are almost gone... And I'm talking terminal. One hair if I let it grow could be an inch and a half long! And all Yasmin is doing really is lowering my free testosterone and giving my body what it's not generating, progesterin and estrogen, so I don't see why losing weight shouldn't help me down the road because the major reason I am hairy is because of my weight. But I also believe if the hair was stimulated for a long time, it will take longer to revert back to it's original vellus form. I mean think about it, your body has been out of whack for who knows how long, mine atleast six years!!! It's probably easier once we know the problem to eliminate it, but it's not uncommon when side effects still linger. There is other diseases like that. Some people can heal epilepsy with diet and experience another siezure six years later. I think the reason why most people say it doesn't help is because usually by the time the hair reverts back to vellus, they probably found the money to use laser. It's probably easier to come up with the money to do laser than it is to wait for the hairs to become thinner and finer. I think it's a ratio effect perhaps. If they've been stimulated for three years, it might take three years for them to revert. I'm sure with some effort, you could probably come up with the money to treat those terminal hairs with laser and most people do. So I like to believe that weight loss does help significantly. Keep going Emaroo and play it like it happens. I know with weight loss our quality of life will be so much better that the hair will probably be just an irk eventually rather than a central demon in the war of us vs. our ovaries. I'm setting aside only ten dollars a month for laser and already have sixty. Not much, but think about it, in three years that's four hundred and twenty dollars. Hey, i've been this long with hair growth, I can probably go another six years, and I with more work, and out of college, I can turn that ten into twenty and have laser in no time at all! *smiles* for the clinic I'm thinking of anyway.. I have hope atleast.

zdreamer25 · 03-13-2004, 11:18 AM

Jillybean..........thanks for the link. Interesting info there for sure. I have been reading all morning...........

lizbethann · 03-13-2004, 12:26 PM

What about back hair that popped up about 6 months ago after 14 years of having pcos. I am finally really working on the losing weight part of this. These are dark hairs (I have dark hair) but not like the chin ones that I have.... Any experience?

sharone · 03-13-2004, 04:40 PM

Does weight loss help with hair loss? Cause I've lost 40lbs (it's taken 2 years) and I'm still losing weight slowly but the hair on my head is falling out like CRAZY! Has this happened to anyone else?

Coolcatsangel · 03-14-2004, 06:24 PM

I was diagnosed with PCOS last February. My doctor told me to lose weight and it would improve the hair loss.

So far I've lost only 20 pounds (thats since Sept 02) and so far there is no difference at all. I get electrolysis on my facial hair so it is hard to tell with that but the hair on my nipples and stomach there is no difference.

It is very frustrating. I am going back on May 25th and am going to try and convince him to put me on something to help with both the hair and weight.

99thmonkey · 03-15-2004, 04:57 AM

I was as hirsute as I am now when I was super super thin and all the way through to age 30 and thin. (my hirsutism is legs/bikini line--looks like a man if I don't wax)

Gained weight fast, and I am having hairloss (for a loooong time) and am hoping once that I drop the last 17#s, that will stop but ??

I'm having a little more vellous facial hair, though and maybe that will go, too? My other bad testosterone symptom is skin oiliness...that's gotten MUCH better since I lost the weight (lost 25#s and trying to get rid of the last bit)

ama