Madeline Burgess said: “I felt really unfeminine for most of my life.”
Madeline, now 31 and living on Sydney’s Gadigal property, was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in her early teens and said she “started taking[contraceptive pills]pretty early on” because of the diagnosis. .
In addition to struggling with her weight, she says many of her symptoms seemed to be minimal until she went off the pill in 2019, including excessive body hair growth and hirsutism.
She initially thought she had avoided hirsutism, but after six months, thick hair began to grow on her face. Madeleine also experiences hair loss on the top of her head.
While she’s “thankfully” she doesn’t have any other unwanted hair, she says the face is also “the most public place”.
What is excessive hair growth and why does it occur?
PCOS is a common hormonal disease that is associated with elevated levels of insulin and male-type hormones (androgens).
Jillian Tay, an endocrinologist at Monash Health, says recent research shows around one in eight women have PCOS.
“Seventy to 80 percent of women with PCOS will talk about hirsutism,” she says.
Dr Tay says excessive hair growth is usually a response to increased levels of androgen hormones in women with PCOS.
How PCOS erodes self-esteem
Hair often follows the growth pattern of male hair.
“Thick, coarse hair may grow around the face, around the mustache, upper lip, chin, chest, arms, abdomen, and even the buttocks and thighs.”
Dr Tay emphasizes that the extent of hair growth does not determine the impact, and even less noticeable growth can have a big impact on health.
“What women feel is important,” she says.
Brisbane consultant dermatologist Leona Yip, who specializes in scalp and hair loss, says she sees many women with PCOS who present with acne, hair loss or thinning hair (another symptom), and hirsutism.
She says it ranges from “peach fuzz” on parts of the face to “thick terminal hair” (on the scalp, eyebrows, armpits, etc.).
How to deal with unwanted hair
Dr Tay says: “PCOS itself cannot be cured and a variety of symptoms need to be managed, and hirsutism is one of them.”
Most women “are already self-monitoring before they see a doctor.” As a result, concerns about hair growth are sometimes ignored by doctors because they “don’t see how much effort women are putting in,” such as plucking, threading, or shaving, she said. says the doctor.
She says “oral medical therapy” could be an option. Combined oral contraceptives are commonly used to treat hirsutism because they “regulate hormones” and “suppress the production of androgens in a woman’s body.” Antiandrogens are a “secondary oral therapy” that can be used to manage excessive hair growth, says Dr Tay.
Dr. Yip agrees that anti-androgens can be effective in inhibiting hair growth and may be appropriate in some cases.
Consultant dermatologist Leona Yip says some women can feel “very self-conscious” about unwanted hair. (Courtesy of Leona Yip)
She says the thickness and color of your hair will influence which method is most effective.
Shaving, waxing, and laser hair removal are all common options, but Dr. Yip cautions that “[the latter is]more accurately called laser hair removal,” as the hair can grow back.
Dr Tay says laser treatment is “highly effective” as a method of “permanent hair removal”. But she says sessions are needed every four to six weeks, at least at first.
“Over time, you can stretch it out for treatment every three months (or) every six months, and the hair growth will be inhibited.”
waxing and shaving
Despite consulting several laser clinics, Madeleine says she is not suitable for laser treatment due to the blonde hair on her face.
Dr. Yip says laser treatment is best suited for dark hair. However, it may not be suitable for people with darker skin, as “the pigment in the hair follicles competes with the pigment in the skin for the laser.”
Instead, Madeline waxes her face and upper lip every few months.
She says it’s expensive and leaves, irritated and red-faced.
“I’m embarrassed, so I’m going to hibernate for a day.”
Megan Butland lives in Naam, Melbourne. Hirsutism has had a long-term impact on her self-esteem. The 54-year-old says her darker, thicker body hair started appearing in her mid-20s, several years before she was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome after struggling to conceive.
Meghan Butland says excessive male-pattern hair growth is affecting her mental health. (Courtesy of Megan Butland)
Meghan said hair growth is most noticeable on her face and the soles of her feet, and she shaves her face with an electric razor every morning.
She said she had tried laser treatments to reduce hair growth, but could not continue with them. Megan says the need for more “frequent refills” will be costly.
She says that as you get older, you “learn to deal with things differently…but I still have days when I feel depressed and affected.”
PCOS explanation
During the coronavirus pandemic, she says she waxes her beard instead of shaving because wearing a face mask hides regrowth.
When Meghan was younger, she often chose to stay at home because the amount of “behind-the-scenes work that goes into maintaining a hairless lifestyle” made it difficult for her to be self-motivated.
“You don’t feel feminine or sexy,” she says, which can “hold you back” from intimacy.
