PCOS and laser hair removal/electrolysis

Special Issues PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome)
#1

Hey, after getting my hormone levels checked 3 times by my obgyn, an endocrinologist, and a hormone specialist, because of excessive hair growth on my neck, chest, and face, the hormone specialist told me that my testosterone levels were high for my body weight. While they are right in the middle of the normal range, I am very light and apparently it’s really high for my BMI.

I had tried to get laser hair removal to remove the unwanted hairs I have before I knew my hormones were a little out of whack. I had a TERRIBLE response to the laser! The hairs grew back thicker and darker, and not only that but I have tons of new hairs! Most of them are fine but there are some that are more pigmented and very long!

Well I’m now turning towards electrolysis so fix the problems that the laser caused. Has anyone else with hormonal imbalances had this problem with the laser? Can electrolysis have the same impact on someone with hormonal imbalances?

I’ve had great results so far with electrolysis. The hairs are growing back some, but it takes about 7 weeks and when they do grow back they are much lighter and finer than they were! I’m hopeful but still skeptic. Any advice?

#2

Laser and hormones are not related. You experienced induced growth because the hair was too fine to treat with laser. Laser only works on coarse dense hair. Fine hair can be induced to become worse no matter why the hair is there in the first place.

Electrolysis is the only permanent solution for finer hair. It removes hair one by one and it has no impact on your hormones. The only thing you should be aware of is that if your hormones continue acting up, you may need touchups later in life. Any hair removal method can only affect hair that’s currently there. It can’t prevent new growth your body may produce later.

#3

If you use laser on areas with inadequate hair, then induced growth can happen. Sparse hair and hair that is not coarse (as coarse as armpit/bikini hair or at least lower leg hair) is not appropriate for laser.

Induced growth is most common on female faces and male backs. It’s not caused by the hormones, it’s caused by too much heat from the laser dissipating into the skin and stimulating new follicles instead of concentrating at the melanin of current hairs and cooking them to death.

#4

PS- That doesn’t mean your hair isn’t caused by hormones. It just means laser-induced hair growth isn’t caused by them. So now you have two factors contributing to your hair instead of just one. Electrolysis does NOT pose a risk for stimulating extra hair because all the energy is localized into one follicle, not neighboring follicles.

It won’t cause any problems in that department, I promise.

#5

ahh this whole thing is so confusing!! all i’ve wanted from the beginning is for the hairs to go away and they just seem to be getting worse :frowning: I’m on birth control and getting electrolysis now. Will the hairs that were induced by the laser get worse if I come off the birth control and the hormones get to them? There’s just too many little hairs, especially on my chest, for the electrolysis to get rid of. For now they’re little and blonde and light and my electrologist won’t touch them bc they’re not noticeable. By chest i mean higher up that my breasts :(. But do they run the risk of getting worse because there is a slight hormonal imbalance? Could my induced hairs be worse because there’s a slight hormonal imbalance? There are just so many pieces that play into this mess and I just want it to go away!

#6

They may get worse, yes. There is a very good chance of that. Hormone imbalances ruin EVERYTHING, ugh! If the hormones don’t get fixed, you will have a perpetual battle on your hands.

#7

I tried electrolysis for years and it didn’t work. Worse still, I got scarred. It’s also a very slow process.
I haven’t tried laser as it’s too expensive plus I’m a bit wary after the electrolysis disaster. However, this is just my experience. You may find the electrolysis would work for you. I hope it does.

#8

Electrolysis in skilled hands, always works. Clearly you had either a poor operater, or you did not keep to a good schedule, having regular clearances. Did you have all of your treatments with one person, if so you were not in a position to make comparisons, on issues of efficieny and skill. Electolysis is still the only proven means to remove hair permanently, regardless of hair or skin colour, and whether downy vellus hair or deep and coarse. I am sorry that you did not have a good outcome.

#9

Yes, indeed. Christine said it well. Electrolysis is not the culprit. It should be obvious that such statements are on par with, “The pencil never helped me solve the math problem”, or " The car took me on a disastrous journey."

#10

Hey please tell me did it work?