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Whether you or a loved one have been recently diagnosed with PCOS or have been struggling with it for a while now, the important thing to know is that PCOS can be controlled so that it does not have any major impact on your body or life.
With a clear understanding of the challenges in your path and with resolve, you can modify your lifestyle and seek medical aid to overpower this condition. While it has a genetic component thus cannot be 'cured', with the correct changes there is every chance you can ensure that you do not have any symptoms/complications and remain 'PCOS free' for life.
Cosmetic Impact of PCOS
Women with PCOS may notice some/none/several of these symptoms in
any combination. These changes are simply external manifestations or sequelae of the hormonal changes that occur within.
- Acne over the face or body, which can sometimes flare up around periods.
- Acne may be painful, severe or hard to treat and may occur at any age
- Oily skin; Blackheads and Whiteheads (These are also a form of acne)
- Pigmented or Pitted Marks and Scars left behind by Acne on the face/body
- Excessive or Increasingly Coarse Hair, on the Body (such as the abdomen and chest) or on the Face (such as on the chin, cheeks and jawline)
- Coarse hair may lead to Ingrown Hair and Bumps
- Thinning of Scalp Hair, sometimes associated with Dandruff
- Hair Loss, Alopecia or Balding
- Thickening or Darkening of Skin Creases, including Armpits and Neck
- Skin Tags, commonly in the Armpits or Neck
- Possible Association: Boils/sinuses in skin folds - Hidradenitis Suppurativa
However,
the primary aim of this initiative is not to be a repository of
information. That job is best left to a search engine. Our aim is to
facilitate an understanding of this information in a manner that
simplifies the life of an individual with PCOS. With this goal in mind,
we offer here a simplistic approach to the cosmetic impact of this
syndrome.
While
the information here comes from a trained physician, it is aimed at
patient education. It is neither intended, nor adequate, to qualify as
medical opinion for any individual. Please use this information to
better understand the various approaches to tackling PCOS and discuss
the same with your treating physician in person.
SKIN
- Oily Skin
- Acne
- Acne Scars
- Body Acne
- Unwanted Facial Hair
ACNE
Acne may occur at any age, over the face or body, with or without any measurable imbalance in the hormonal profile or any other symptoms of PCOS. Sometimes an individual may not have acne, but be prone to oily irritable skin or have the occasional blackhead or whitehead. On the other hand some people have debilitating severe, painful and widespread acne in the form of pimples, cysts or hard lumps under the skin, which leaves behind pits and scars.
The best time to treat acne is As Soon As Possible. This helps to minimize skin damage and prevents the spread of acne, scarring or uneven pigmentation. However, it is
important to not try to self-medicate.
Doctors are trained to identify the severity of your acne and treat it
with the correct strength of medication. Over-the-counter and herbal
products may be suitable for maintenance of oily skin, but usually do
not contain the higher strengths of medication required to combat active
acne.
It is also important to understand that acne can be controlled and kept at bay. However this takes time and one must not lose faith in treatments or give up on a doctor/product/regimen.
Acne needs consistent management and good skin care even when all of it has been treated. When a person has oily or acne prone skin, maintenance regimes are vital, as acne has a terrible tendency to return, sometimes with a vengeance, often just when you're stressed about wanting to look your best. Stress, however, is fuel to the fire of acne. The best thing to do is to take control of acne, treat it with the right medication under medical supervision and to go out and live life and have fun, as you would.
Prevention of acne with the use of appropriate skin care products and a good lifestyle go a long way. Despite the tremendous urge to extract a visible blackhead or to pop a zit, the best thing to do is to apply medication as advised and leave your acne alone. Without this, deep pitted scars can form, which take more time, money and effort to treat than active acne alone would require.
It is important to understand your skin needs, and to follow a good medicated regimen. Patient counseling and education are therefore the most critical elements for treating acne.
BODY
- Unwanted Hair on the Body
- Stretch Marks or Striae
- Pigmentation or Acanthosis Nigricans
- Skin Tags
- Ingrown Hair
- ?Hidradenitis Suppurativa
LASER HAIR REDUCTION FOR UNWANTED BODY HAIR
A Laser is just a focused beam of light. Depending on the source, wavelength and intensity of light, lasers may be used for a wide range of purposes from eye surgery to industrial cutting. There are several types of lasers used in dermatology, such as those treating spider veins, birth marks, wrinkles, scars, pigmentation, excessive hair, tattoos and more.
Lasers used for permanent hair reduction are also of different types such as Nd:YAG and Diode technologies. The depth of penetration of lasers for hair reduction differs from those used for treatment of other concerns. Lasers work on the actively dividing cells in the root of the hair follicle, effectively killing the hair from the root. However, as all hair is not in this susceptible stage at the same time, multiple sessions are needed at many weeks of intervals.
Not all lasers are made the same and the appropriate technology should be selected by an experienced professional, depending on the person's skin and hair type. Permanent laser hair reduction is an extremely safe, comfortable and effective way to get rid of unwanted body hair. However, it is essential that the laser operator has adequate training, follows safety precautions and proper treatment protocol with correct gap between treatment sessions.
STRETCH MARKS OR STRIAE
Stretch marks occur due to damage to collagen, a protein present in the dermal layer of skin. Collagen is vital for keeping skin tight and smooth. Undue stretching of skin beyond it's normal capacity, such as during sudden weight loss or gain, pregnancy and growth spurts, damages this collagen, leading to the formation of Stretch Marks or Striae. New stretch marks are reddish/purple while older ones look silvery/white.
TREATMENT:The single best treatment for stretch marks is PREVENTION . For this one requires intense moisturizing and gradual weight loss or gain. Creams such as those containing vitamin A derivatives, called Retinoids/ silicone/ onion extract give limited improvement. Microneedling with DermaRollers may have deeper impact and better visible outcome. Lasers meant for skin resurfacing penetrate deeper and boost collagen synthesis to give visible results. Recent stretch marks seem to respond faster and better to treatment than very old striae.
HAIR LOSS
- Hair Fall and Thinning
- Dandruff
- Baldness or Receding Hairline
Many
individuals first notice a large number of hair falling out, while combing or shampooing their hair. Thinner, scraggly looking hair or a loss in volume may be reported by others.
In severe cases, hair fall may manifest as a bald patch or receding hairline.
Hair
loss is of several types and may occur due to reasons as diverse as
infection or poor nutrition, pregnancy, severe stress or harsh chemical
based hair treatments. Hormonal imbalance is just one of the factors which can lead to increased hair loss and thinning. Dietary deficiencies, anemia, thyroid imbalance or other causes may coexist with PCOS and contribute to hair loss. Thus all these possible contributory factors should be assessed and treated.
- The procedure for effective treatment of hair loss must begin with a detailed medical history.
- This is followed by laboratory investigations such as blood tests, as seen fit by the treating physician. The laboratory tests may help identify or rule out certain causative factors like anemia. In PCOS patients, severe imbalance of hormones may reflect in laboratory reports and explain any increase in hair loss.
- Treatment for hair fall may include a combination of home-care application based products, oral supplements and in-clinic treatments.
- In many patients with PCOS, dandruff, flakiness/itching of the scalp and oiliness of hair may coexist with hair loss. Dandruff further contributes to hair loss and therefore must be treated for good results.
- There are treatments available for arresting hair loss and promoting new hair growth. However, the results of medication take a few weeks to become evident. Therefore, it is imperative that an individual be consistent and patient with treatment for hair loss.
- Lifestyle modification, stress management and a holistic approach to PCOS, must continue along with prescription medication for best results.
- Oral supplements for hair loss usually contain Biotin, Iron and Saw Palmetto, and other vitamins and micronutrients. Saw Palmetto is a plant derivative which acts as an anti androgen, thus working as a natural alternative to finasteride for the treatment of hormonal hair loss in PCOS
There is a plethora of
information regarding PCOS available online as well as offline. The
following are good places to start:
PCOS Fact Sheet by the Office on Women's Health, US Department of Health and Human Services
WebMD
