r/Hirsutism

"Up to 70% of people with PMOS are undiagnosed, estimates suggest, and part of that diagnostic gap may stem from misconceptions about what the condition actually is. Over the years, surveys have repeatedly suggested that both doctors and patients find the name PCOS confusing and often think abnormal ovarian cysts are a key feature of the condition. In a recent survey, nearly 86% of patients and 76% of health professionals who responded agreed that the name should change.

Because the syndrome has largely been viewed as gynecological, research, funding and medical education has often focused on the reproductive aspects of PMOS. This has left knowledge gaps among doctors in other specialties, despite the condition impacting many bodily systems. The new name could also help to turn that tide, stakeholders think."

Has anyone here had electrolysis? If so please share your experience down below. I feel like I’m going into a depression with my excess facial hair. I’ve tried everything, dermaplaning, IPL, plucking, waxing, spearmint tea, nettle root tea, magnesium, zinc, walking after meals, eating balanced meals, lifting weights, stress control, cryptic rotundus oil, eating every few hours so my blood sugar stays stable, giving up coffee for matcha, I drink no alcohol, cutting down on sugar and carbs/processed foods. Nothing is helping and I’m so sick and tired of feeling ugly because of my facial hair and trying to constantly hide my neck in fear of people seeing how hairy I am. I’ve been breaking down praying and crying because it’s effecting me so much. I made an electrolysis appointment to see how much it will cost, I’m just nervous this is another thing I try that doesn’t work or makes my hiritism worse and I end up wasting money I don’t have. Is anyone else going through this or have gone through this? Having pcos and hiritism is so isolating. I hope there’s a light at the end of the tunnel because this pcos girly is tired 😔

Hi, I’m a 28 year old female and I have had facial hair since puberty. I’ve never been diagnosed with PCOS but I obviously have my suspicions. My doctor even said it wasn’t worth checking my hormone levels when I asked.

I’ve been doing electrolysis for several months now. Probably like twice a month for 8 months. My facial hair is still growing back within a week and a half after the sessions. Am I wasting my time/money, or is it normal to take this long? Any other suggestions?

Does anyone else have black, coarse hair covering their legs, buttcheeks, back, stomach, butt crack etc.? I have so much hair you literally can’t even see my skin under it. I have a bush going down my abdomen. I have high androgens and polycystic ovaries, my DHEAS is high and my prolactin is very high as well. This started very young when I was like 4 years old, so I’m suspected to have NCAH instead of actual PCOS, but still waiting to see. I’ve also ruled out a prolactinoma but it’s still super high so I may need to check again. Does anyone else have it to this extent? I always see creators on TikTok and ig who will have hirsutism on the face but have super thin or basically non existent hair on the body. I feel confused because I don’t get how I grow it everywhere but some only have it on their face or certain patches on their body. Anybody like me literally covered in black thick hair everywhere? It’s literally impossible for me to remove it properly because it’s SO thick and there’s so much everywhere.

As a promiscuous girl this feels like a fking death sentence.

tmi ahead!!! also TW I don’t want anybody to feel bad reading this bc it could come across as judgy? I promise it’s just my own insecurities and how I feel towards myself, so warning for that if it triggers you! I totally understand🫶❤️

Sorry for the TMI and lack of euphemisms (lol) but I LOVE pleasuring others, however I never fucking feel comfortable enough to let somebody reciprocate bc my fking butt is so damn hairy. That’s literally the only reason why I’m still a virgin. And I hate it. No girl I know has this issue and it’s making me feel like i don’t even belong to this gender. The cheeks too like why😭😭 My mom’s hairless, I have more of a mustache than my brother and my father’s spotless too. I had a physician look at me once there and I was actually trembling and crying bc I felt so disgusting Like I hate it so much.

Please, I’m honestly so desperate. How do I get rid of it?? I literally broke up with an ex bc I refused to stay over or go on a trip w him and his parents bc I knew I couldn’t maintain or shave daily. And I honestly don’t even know HOW to deal w my butt. I shaved it once and that shit was painful growing back. 😭😭 I feel so limited as a person bc I can’t fully express myself the way I want to. I’m only 20, so laser is too expensive rn ): But ig if its the only option I’ll save up for it. Does anyone here, have any succes taking e.g. spirolactone or waxing? Or any weird tips even? I want it gone, so no trimming etc. I am meeting my ldr this year and I’d love to just not worry about my hair there for once. I don’t want this to ruin another relationship.

edit: thank you so much for all the kind responses! y’all have made me feel so welcomed and understood. 🩷

I’ve had hirsutism for about fifteen years. I did laser removal about a year after it started. It did nothing. If I don’t shave, I can grow a full beard (sideburns, chin, entire neck) in about three days. A full beard with thick black hairs. My head hair is naturally dark blonde! If I shave in the morning, I have a three o’clock shadow. I’ve tried changing my diet, losing weight, metformin, over the counter supplements, creams, and at home laser hair kit. I’ve had my blood tested a thousand times and the testosterone and androgens are on the high side of normal but still within the normal range. I finally started Spironolactone about seven months ago. 100 mg. Went back after six months. No change. Not even a little. Coincidentally because of my age (45 now) and suspected to be in perimenopause I began HRT with 0.05 estradiol patches and progesterone. I got bumped up to 200 mg of Spiro at the same time. It’s been four weeks now on these three and nada. No slowing. No lighter or softer hair. I take 100 mg Spiro in the morning and 100mg at night to keep it in my system. My doctor thinks my PCOS diagnosis could be incorrect due to my always having my period like clock work each month and an average blood sugar of about 80. Where I live it’s impossible to get in with an endocrinologist so I’m having to use my PCP. She’s great and she listens and she researches for me. If it’s not PCOS related, what the hell is causing this? We checked my cortisol and it was normal as well. All I want is to get up and not have to shave every morning or be able to be comfortable with my husband kissing my neck. Does anyone have any advice or been in a similar situation? Thank you in advance for any advice you can offer.

any experience with it? Good or bad? I hate the hair on my face and throat area. No money for electrolysis, and struggling since 20 years. So far I have shaved, but the hair is just always there and I hate it.

for the longest time I was so sure that I had excess androgen levels, I grow thick black hairs on my jawline, neck, chest, and stomach which are so so exhausting to keep up with. I finally went to my GP and asked to get a blood test done to check my hormones, I went to get it done and got a msg from the clinic a few days later saying the doctor had reviewed my results and no further action was required.. feeling really let down. She didn’t even go over the results with me in person. I know hirutism isn’t always due to excess hormones, but i’m wondering if I should try and get another test done, maybe from an endocrinologist instead? what are other people’s experience with this process?

I'm trying :High time bump stopper &the rotundus oil ,bio oil in that order

All of a sudden the ingrown s have increased rapidly and this is where we at with the shit,, sooo we'll see what it does,, the bump stopper has. High reviews said to work quickly 2days so we'll see ,,in the mean time check it out yourself,, bio for the scarring

My a.i klaus advised me on the order to use them 🤗so let's see

https://www.reddit.com/r/Hirsutism/s/InYkQA9zgQ

I additionally have a diagnosis of mild sleep apnea, but I’ll have to have the bloodwork done this week or next (whenever I have time) to figure out what’s going on here. I developed depression and anxiety at the age of nine after having had an existential life crisis. I don’t know whether or not my periods are normal - I don’t track them, but I definitely don’t get them every 2 weeks or anything crazy like that.

If I start trying for a baby, it won’t be until I’m around 28. I wouldn’t plan to have a baby any later than the age of 34. I do tend to feel a lot of stress and grow easily stressed out in general.

I may have PCOS or NCAH. There are pictures of it on my profile but I will actually be getting bloodwork/labs done within the next three weeks - I have chest hair and more stomach hair than I think a woman is supposed to, I’ve had this since I started puberty (11) but have also noticed that I seem to have gotten acne/pimples this time around right before my actual cycle started (like a week before.) I don’t think that my periods are irregular exactly even though I don’t track them. I am not likely to start trying for a baby until I am between 28-30 or so (I would need to be married and completely done with my education. I don’t really know what I see myself doing in the longterm, however.)

I will note that I have mild sleep apnea like my father, and I also have been struggling with pulling at least 8 hours of sleep since I was 15 (but it varies. I was sleeping very well when I was especially happy in 2023. I was partly so happy because I was actually graduating from high school, lol.) I also tend to have a du mouth/become dehydrated easily and am prone to mouth sores and a sore tongue, but I also get the… mouth sores stuff from my father.

View Poll

I’ll talk to my doctor about it more but I don’t even have a history of hairy women within the family.