Embarrassing Illnesses

I don't have PCOS, but I do have excess Testosterone. I'm 20 and have had excess hair growth for perhaps 6 years. I've been put on high Oestrogen pills, I've had laser treatment, I've been to my Dr several times as my periods are now being affected – i'm on day 92 and still no period.. this is pretty normal at the moment – ... nothing is working for me. I'm now trying electrolysis and I have an appointment at the Fertility Clinic in September, although I'm not 100% sure what they'll do there. I'm so miserable about the hair. I HATE it on my face and I know people look at it.

To all the women out there with this problem, you're not alone. There are loads of us who know how you feel.

HI,

I AM A 27 YEAR OLD PSORIASIS SUFFERER WITH SEVERE HAIR
GROWTH.I COVER MY ENTIRE BODY SO MY HAIR AS WELL AS MY PSORIASIS IS NOT SEEN.UP UNTIL ABOUT A MONTH AGO I WAXED MY FACE EVERY 2 WEEKS .HOWEVER MY PSORIASES HAS NOW STARTED ON MY FACE.I AM DESPERATELY WAITING FOR SOME SORT OF MIRACLE IF NOT FOR MY BODY AT LEAST FOR MY FACE.I AM NOT IN A FINANCIAL POSITION TO HAVE TREATMENTS LIKE LASER DONE PRIVATELY AND I HAVE NOT HAD MUCH LUCH WITH MY DERMATOLOGIST TOO.PLEASE ADVISE!

THe Nhs should provide Laser treatment the whole reccommended treatment required to remove 90% of the facial hair. You do need to have PCOS diagnosis, if your like me you dont nessacery need to have polycystic ovaries, just the acne, facial hair and also irrgular periods and painful periods. if your GP refuses to diagnosis it push for refferal to a gynaecologist who can diagnose it.

I know of 3 people who have recieved this treatment this year 2008. and if your PCT argue its cosmetic, then argue saying you known people been funded on nhs for laser hair removal and also mention that having obesity treatment eg to reduce weight is cosmetic surgery. AS a PCT specialist said and couldnt argue, If they providing treatment for people being excessively over weight- which is 50% enviroment factor and is classed as cosmetic surgery then people with facial hair with no enviromental factor and it being a 100% medical issue then they have to argubly find funding to fund your laser treatment.

HI ,
I have just developed the excess hair growth a year back
I use veet hair removing gel on my body but on the breasts i am not sure what i can use . I cannot afford the laser treatment .

Is there a easy way out for this

Hi girls,Im 26 and like all of you suffer from excess facial and body hair,I was recently diagnosed with PCOS.My GP actually said in her reference to the specailist that "it was'nt severe"!I was like yeah after spending thousands on laser and still getting it maybe not, plus I didnt want to scare her by giving a full body frontal!Im sure it would have been SEVERE then!From my experience the hair grows back after the laser treatments (have had about 25 – 1 for each year!) and is by no means permanent,the doctor put me on "dianete" pill – most effective pill for reducing hair growth but takes at least 6mths to see improvements-have not been on long enough to c results!At least we are not alone altough I feel for everyone who suffers with this-if you dont there is no way you understand…Ive never had a boyfriend-longest relationship has been 6minutes!! and feel very self concious and would dread the tought of a guy seeing me naked in daylight!I get very down about this and feel so unfemine.I dont know if it helps to think but at least we are healthy gals and it is all outward beauty that is concerning us.being in a long term relationship seems highly unlikely at the minute but I guess it really is all about who you are on the inside that counts.hope ye all find the solution you're looking for and its nice to know we are not alone
x

Hello! I am a 60 year old widow and have had hair on my face since puberty. Like many of you I have tried lots of different and expensive treatments.. but to no avail.. But hey.. I just shave it off every morning with a good razor put on loads of slap wear my hair in a bob to cover the sides of my face and keep smiling. Most people love you for who you are not for what you look like. I HATE my hair but have had a long and happy life am perfectly feminine with three grown up children and still find men ask me out.Dont despair shave your hair!

wow, i just watched this clip and the lady in it has excess hair in all the places i do too. I will def start trying to save for laser treatment specially now i know i will not have to grow my hair before treatment. I shave my facial hair every day and am VERY conscious of it, specially when i get a red rash on a daily basis (sudocrem helps a bit). I also suffer from pcos and depression (excess hair contributes to depression).

Hi there – my sympathies to all the other posters here.

Laser hair reduction is hugely problematic for several reasons – it's massively expensive, isn't suitable for everyone, and, most importantly IS ONLY PERMANENT FOR SOME PEOPLE. The Food and Drug Administration in the US hasn't licensed it as a PERMANENT hair removal treatment, only for REDUCTION. If you want permanent removal, good old fashioned electrolysis is your best bet, as this is very safe (a bit stingy though!) and has by far the highest success rate for destroying hair follicles. It works out about the same cost, though may take a bit longer.

The thing that makes me angry as a facial hair sufferer in this country is the lack of help / misinformation / downright untruths told by some of the salons touting for your business (and face it, if they can get you paying £60 every five weeks indefinitely because you think it'll solve the problem forever, they will). I've been fed all sorts of bumf by salons who don't know what laser they've got (if indeed it is a laser, as some have IPL units which are not effective for hair reduction) and have little awareness that this is vital in determining how much treatment you will need. This is alarming, as the wrong laser could scar you, possibly forever.

In reply to Brighton and all those looking for hair removal on NHS. Laser treatment is available on the NHS, at least I know it is in Leeds. I was referred by my doctor for my excess facial hair due to PCOS. I waited around a year for an appointment with the Dermatology Department, where they had a look and said it was severe enough for me to go on their laser waiting list. I was told that they would only treat facial hair. I waited another 10 months before I got my first appointment for the Laser hair removal (was told that was a really short waiting time as I was considered an urgent case). The NHS will only do 3 laser hair removal treatments, as they consider that is enough to reduce hair. It was fine for about 3 months then grew back a lot worse.

Ive been having laser for four years- i go once every 5 weeks. Ive tried a few types. Wondering what happened to her. I haven't got pcos or high tesosterone. ive also quite light for asian and have jet black hair