Women living with PCOS often experience excess facial and body hair growth (hirsutism). Unfortunately, shaving and waxing only offer temporary solutions and take too much time and effort.
Laser treatments offer the most efficient way to effectively combat unwanted hair growth. Laser sessions use heated beams to destroy hair follicles and stop them from growing back.
Electrolysis
Women living with PCOS often suffer from excessive hair growth (hirsutism) that makes them feel embarrassed or self-conscious, even with treatment like medication and hormone therapy in place. Hair removal techniques offer long-term solutions and work well when combined with these other treatment approaches for PCOS treatment options such as medication or hormone therapy.
Electrolysis is one of the permanent hair removal methods available, effectively and permanently disabling each hair follicle to prevent it from growing back. To use it, insert a needle into each opening of each follicle and send small amounts of electricity through it – while this procedure may be uncomfortable, it is safe and will not damage your skin; each hair follicle targeted individually so each hair follicle can be addressed individually without impacting nearby ones.
Those interested in electrolysis should find a trustworthy practitioner. Ask friends and family members for referrals, then arrange a consultation before beginning treatment. In the consultation you can discuss how many sessions will be necessary, what to expect during the procedure itself, costs associated with treatment as well as whether their training and experience exceed those available to you.
Laser hair removal offers another permanent hair removal method that works by targeting pigment in hair follicles with heated light energy, whether that’s at a dermatologist office or via IPL device at home. Though more costly than waxing, laser hair removal results are generally lasting and very close to permanent.
Laser hair removal, unlike electrolysis, is not covered by insurance; however, it remains an affordable solution for people needing to reduce the thickness of their body hair in larger body areas. How many laser treatments you require depends on your hair growth cycle and active phase hairs at any one time; typically six treatments should produce results equivalent to traditional waxing.
Waxing
PCOS women may experience excessive hair growth known as “hirsutism”. This condition can be quite distressing and affect areas normally reserved for male hair growth such as neck, chest, stomach, back, arms and buttocks. While hirsutism may occur independently of PCOS it often co-occurs alongside it – this excess hair growth can be managed through shaving waxing and laser treatment options to bring the problem under control.
Waxing is a long-lasting way of removing hair, and an ideal option for areas that are most affected by PCOS. Not only is it less costly than laser treatment, it works on most skin types as well. Before your wax appointment use Starpil’s Pre-Wax Gel to prepare the area and reduce pain and discomfort before beginning waxing treatment. In order to maximize results it’s also recommended to avoid tanning, exercising or using other hair removal treatments before scheduling an appointment for waxing.
Waxing has several distinct advantages over shaving: results typically last much longer and it does not only remove surface hairs but also targets its roots; furthermore, shaving requires time-intensive and often painful efforts when trying to reach difficult areas of the body.
Laser treatment uses heat energy to destroy hair follicles, thus stopping new growth from taking hold. This non-painful approach works especially well on dark hair which is common among those suffering from PCOS; however, not all skin types respond equally and several sessions may be necessary before seeing results.
PCOS can cause hormone-sensitive vellus hair follicles to produce terminal (gray or black) hair in places like the face and chest, necessitating medication to balance hormone levels and combat excessive hair growth. There are other solutions available as well; such as shaving, laser treatments or waxing; simply choose which method best suits you! Remember though – professional help for permanent hair reduction should always be sought when possible.
Laser Hair Removal
Women living with PCOS often develop unwanted body and facial hair due to hormonal imbalance. While specialized hair removal techniques may provide some temporary relief, to achieve long-term effects they must also include treatment of excess androgens. Laser hair removal provides a fast and permanent alternative for women looking for permanent results without electrolysis or waxing treatments.
Laser hair removal treatments utilize pulses of light directed at the skin to destroy melanin found within hair follicles and permanently disable them, stopping further hair production from the same follicle. Compared with other hair removal methods, this laser solution is minimally invasive and doesn’t cause any pain or discomfort afterwards; treatments typically only take minutes per small area to treat.
PCOS women struggling with excessive hair growth may benefit from laser hair removal as an effective solution to permanently reduce stubble and ingrown hairs, but it should be remembered that while laser can offer permanent hair reduction, excess growth could reoccur without treating its root cause – an underlying hormonal imbalance which requires treatment for optimal functioning.
Consultations with medical professionals can be useful when trying to determine whether laser hair removal for PCOS will be successful for you. Furthermore, it’s advised to avoid shaving, plucking or waxing in advance as this can reduce effectiveness of treatment.
Prior to laser hair removal sessions, it’s crucial that the skin be lightened to reduce risk of pigmentation issues after treatment. A mild sunless skin cream can help achieve this aim while sun exposure before and after your sessions could have detrimental effects on results.
Once we have conducted your consultation and established that you’re an appropriate candidate for this treatment, we will arrange your sessions. For those living with PCOS, regular maintenance treatments will likely be needed every 12-15 weeks to maintain significant reduction in hair growth.
Combination Treatments
Women living with PCOS often face unwanted hair growth on their face and body, which may make them feel self-conscious and uncomfortable. Luckily, there are a variety of methods that can help remove any additional hair caused by this condition.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) can produce many symptoms, including heavy periods, difficulty conceiving and ovarian cysts. Furthermore, the hormonal imbalance associated with PCOS may lead to female-patterned hair growth known as hirsutism; when women grow hair in areas typically associated with men – such as chest, areola area back stomach and upper thighs.
As one solution for excessive hair growth, many women choose either shaving and waxing techniques or more permanent solutions such as electrolysis or laser therapy to manage excessive hair growth. Unfortunately, both methods require time-consuming efforts that could leave skin with potential irritation or folliculitis risk. Additional permanent hair removal treatments like electrolysis or laser may offer longer term results at higher costs but provide more long term solutions.
Laser hair removal utilizes pulses of heated light energy to heat and damage hair follicle pigment, thus inhibiting its ability to grow new hair follicles and stopping further hair formation. It is gentle enough for large body areas and less painful than waxing or plucking; dermatologists typically recommend laser treatment as a solution for unwanted facial and body hair reduction.
Laser treatments can be combined with other hair removal techniques to achieve optimal results. For instance, women experiencing hirsutism in their neck area may benefit from using Eflornithine cream (Vaniqa) alongside laser treatment to reduce hair growth and make it easier to manage. Most women typically see between 30%-40% reduction after six sessions and further sessions may increase this figure further; professional dermatologists can determine which combination will bring optimal outcomes.
