Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a health problem that is quite common in childbearing age women. Hirsutism i.e. too much hair on the face, chin, and other various parts of the body is one of the symptoms of PCOS.
The exact cause of PCOS is not known.
Dr. Sangeeta Agrawal speaks about PCOS and Hirsutism
Symptoms of PCOS
Women with PCOS have:
- A hormonal imbalance
- Metabolic problems.
- This has an impact on the periods
- Impact on their fertility
- Their appearance.
- They have high levels of male hormones and therefore they tend to have hirsutism i.e. it is too much hair on the face chin and various parts of the body.
- Have a male type of hair growth.
- They tend to have thinning of hair on the scalp which is the male pattern of baldness.
- Can also have acne on the face chest and back.
Many young girls and women will approach the gynecologist because they have remarkably heavy thick coarse hair on the face and other body parts and /or acne and /or balding.
Diagnosis of PCOS
Diagnosis is usually done based on symptoms and clinical examination. In history, information about the:
- Onset and duration of the acne
- Hair growth
- Menstrual history
- Use of medication
- Lifestyles such as diet, exercise.
- Use of alcohol, and smoking is particularly important.
- The family history of diabetes and heart disorders is also relevant.
- During the physical examination, the degree of hair growth and acne is recorded
- Complete internal examination, when required, is done.
- Blood levels of the male hormones are checked along with various other tests relevant to PCOS.
- The male hormones can be high for various other reasons besides PCOS such as Cushing syndrome and congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
Therefore, it is important to exclude other causes of hirsutism.
Treatment of Hirsutism
There is no one magical treatment and all the symptoms must be addressed. Combinations of medical interventions are used so that there is an effective treatment of hirsutism.
Various medications such as oral contraceptives, antiandrogen drugs (like spironolactone, flutamide, and finasteride), and insulin sensitizers are used effectively.
Eflornithine hydrochloride cream is used only topically. It is important to note that one cannot use these medicines when one is trying to get pregnant or during pregnancy.
Mechanical removal of hair such as plucking shaving waxing electrolysis and Laser vaporization is also used. Shaving and plucking are not recommended on the face, but other methods can be used.
Laser treatment is exceedingly difficult on large areas and multiple sessions over a long period of time are required for bringing the hair growth under control.
