PCOS/Insulin Resistance SupportSupport for us with any of the following: Insulin Resistance, Syndrome X, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, or other endocrine disorders.
For facial hair, my endo suggest laser therapy. There are new machines out now that are much better than the ones in recent years. My dr says that it takes at least 3 sessions, maybe more, depending on your hair growth. You cannot tweeze for 4 weeks
(I think that is the #) and cannot shave for a few days ahead of time. They will zap what is there, go for a second time for what was under the skin when you got it the first time, then go back for new hair growth the third time, then continue as needed until it is gone. My sister is getting it done there and she said it isn't as painful as it was the old way, either. She did electolysis for years also. It is much cheaper than electrolysis overall, since you only have to go a few times, not years. She said they dimmed the lights and put on Enya and it was pretty relaxing!
Look for a PCOS specialist in your area and see if they offer laser therapy. My PCOS center just got one a couple of months ago and they are charging much less than traditional laser therapy. They know it is a terrible problem for PCOSers and only want to cover the price of the machine. Maybe you can find a similar deal!
I've heard mixed reviews on the Vaniqua. One doctor said the results weren't as spectacular as they hoped, another highly recommended it. Your hair will still grow back, only slower.One tube, although expensive, will probably last a long time, so it is worth a try. I use a retin cream (about the same size tube) to keep my face clear and it lasts about 4 months.
I am not getting anything done to my hair. I have some hair growth but it isn't bad enough that I can't keep up with it yet. I
have noticed that it slows down as I lose weight, and as long as I eat right, the acne stays at bay as well. I am taking 1000mg of Gluc XR. I will move up in a month or so....I've had stomach problems with it! I'm overly sensitive to meds though.
I had heard that for the laser therapy, you had to have dark hair. An aunt of mine does laser therapy and she told me my hairs wouldn't be picked up by the laser. Is this a different type of laser therapy than the usual?
I was diagnosed as having PCOS many years ago ... and only by reading this site (for the first time last week) have I realised how things have moved on since I was diagnosed. I have had no active treatment since diagnosis... when I was diagnosed PCOS was only recently recognised
However, without knowing it - and not for PCOS, I have had treatment - Depo Provera injections. This has helped with my hair loss - and also the facial and body hair is much less now - but I have been on depo for 12 years!!
Also I discovered by accident - and without knowing why - that I feel much better in myself if I reduce my carb intake. Seems to be particularly complex carbs that affect me ... fruit does not seem to affect me in the same way.
Recently I have started using a cream Bio-Depiless - they have creams for face, body - and a deoderant (but I dont use this as excessive perspiration is also one of my problem areas). I ordered this cream from a TV Shopping Channel in the UK ...
So far it appears to be helping - in that I dont have to tweezer as often .
Please do a search on "PCOS Depo Provera". You may be quite alarmed. Its different for PCOSers as opposed to nonPCOSers. Please do this search in your favorite search engine.
Also its VITAL that you know BCP/Shots are NOT a treatment plan for PCOS. The PCOS is still aging, you are still having other issues secretly inside you. Doing these sorts of "symptom treatments" ONLY help with acne directly (not the cause of), menses and ovaries. Thats it.
This means, without PROPER PCOS treatment, such as glucophage/avandia/etc, diabetic type 2 diet, exercise, et al, you are STILL at equal risk; as those PCOSers that are being completely UNTREARED, for diabetes, heart disease, heart attacks, strokes and more. Cancer risk is lowered while on BCP/S the same as others because you are shedding every month.
Please, for your health, seek more treatment plans. If you want to stay on the DP - fine, but that is not enough to TREAT the PCOS.
I too am IR and believe I am PCOS however the Dr's won't even consider checking because I have had children so therefore I must not be....
Anyway, I have always suffered from excessive facial hair. I have very white skin and very black hair. I literally could remove the hair every single day. I would wax, bleach you name it. I constantly had a hand over my lower face in order to hide it. The hairs on my chin were very coarse, just like a mans beard. Even when I removed it you could see hairs beneath the skin.
The Dr's prescirbed the Spironolactone and Birth Control Pills for it. Neither seemed to make a noticeable improvement. I went through electrolysis for about a year with little noticeable improvement. I even had the laser done once which seemed to work very well however I could not afford the follow up treatments and was about back where I started.
When Vaniqa came out I could not wait to see my Dr. He was very hesitant about prescribing it. He said it is not covered by insurance, is expensive and results are less than spectacular. I pleaded with him to prescribe it. You are not supposed to be able to see results for about a month but I did within a week or two. I have been on it for over a year now. My chin is completely hair free. I have probably found a grand total of 10 fine little hairs in the last year and just plucked them out. Now it hasn't worked as well on my upper lip for some reason. Hair still grows there but it is much finer and much slower. I have no problem waxing that about every other week.
I know the laser treatments are much much cheaper now than when I did it. I might do it again someday but now I am so much happier & more confidant and I don't have to hide my face anymore. I would urge you to try the Vaniqua.
I also use Vaniqua and LOVE it!! My husband does too since I spend much less time in the mirror plucking my beard.
I told my mom about it and now she uses it too.
I saw quick results and stretched one tube out for 6 months. I found that putting it on right after washing my face or getting out of the shower while my skin is still warm helps a little go a long way. It probably helps it sink in good.
We had a computer conversion at work (JUST SAY NO TO SAP!!!)
Yes, Vaniqua stops all hair growth where you use it. It won't get rid of what's already there, but nothing new will come when you are consistent with it.
I have thick dark hairs on my chin and neck and thick and thin white ones on my neck. When I use the Vaniqua I don't get any new one. I can tell when I stop though.
Yes, it will work on any hair. It won't remove the hair of course. You have to wax or pluck or whatever. Then use the creme.
It is expensive but a tube lasts me a couple of months. I use it on my entire chin and upper lip. If you don't have that much to cover it will of course last you a lot longer.
I don't quite understand what the glucophage does for the pcos.I have had pcos for a long time,diagnosed at 17 and now I am 34y/o.I do have the cysts on my ovaries,facial hair and weight gain,I had a hard time concieving but do have 2 healthy children.I don't know if I have insulin resistance,my fasting blood sugars are fine.I had a 5hr glucose tolerance test that was ok except low sugar at the end[52]a few years ago.I do get shaky and cranky if I don't eat every 5 hrs or so.I am not on any pcos medicine but in past took provera for irregular cycles,my cycles are more regular since my 2nd son was born 4 yrs ago[every 27-32 days]Are there different degrees of pcos because I don't think mine ias as bad as some of what I read.thanks
Hi Wendy, I replied on the other thread, but will paraphrase it here also incase you don't read the other thread. Glucophage will help lessen the symptoms in some women, and it will help prevent the onset of Diabetes, which PCOS'ers are at high risk for. It also helps some women lose weight, which is very important in Diabetes prevention and reduction of symptoms.
Bio-Depiless
