PCOS Laser Hair Removal

Excess body hair is an unpleasant, visible and sometimes embarrassing side effect of polycystic ovary syndrome, an endocrine disorder also known as PCOS. Women who suffer from this condition may have elevated levels of testosterone, which can cause infertility, male pattern baldness and excess body hair. Long-term treatments for body hair involve stabilizing hormones or using androgen blockers to decrease testosterone, but these can take several months to reduce hair. Women with PCOS who want an immediate solution may turn to laser hair removal, which provides faster results.

Before Treatment

• Before being treated with laser hair removal treatments, there are a few things to consider. Laser hair removal is not a permanent solution, especially for women with PCOS who are suffering from a hormone imbalance. What laser hair removal can provide, though, is a longer time between hair removal treatments.

  Success of laser hair treatments depends on several factors, such as how dark your hair is, how thick your hair is and how dark your skin is. Laser treatment can only affect the follicles which have hair during treatment; other follicles may be dormant and produce hair later, causing a need for further cycles of treatment. Women with light skin and dark hair may find the treatment more successful than those with lighter hair or darker skin. Women with suntans should allow their tans to fade before being treated, according to Dr. W. Clayton, a dermatologist at Royal Free Hospital in London.

  Prior to treatment, do not wax or pluck the area. This removes the hair from the follicle and means that the area won't be ready to be treated. Trimming or shaving the hair is preferred, since this does not affect the base of the hair in the follicle.

  If you are using a skin product such as Retin-A to treat acne, which is also a symptom of PCOS, your skin may be more sensitive to light. You should stop using the Retin-A before having laser hair removal treatments.

After Treatment

• Women who have PCOS should work with their doctors to balance their hormone levels during treatment. This will help to regulate and normalize hair growth so that results from laser hair removal treatments are more effective, which means the effects of the treatment will last longer.

  You may need four to six or more treatments until growth is reduced. Using treatments such as birth control or androgen blockers can help normalize the hair growth cycle by blocking excess testosterone. Women who are not using these treatments may need more laser hair removal sessions.