WLS, PCOS and facial hair

Hi...I have had PCOS since 1996 with facial hair. I was going for laser hair removal which seemed to be working but I stopped because it got too expensive. I shave everyday usually in the morning when I am in the shower. By 4 o'clock..I can feel stubble. If my husband and I want to be intimate..I have to shave before so that he will not feel it. I never let anyone touch my face, even my husband. I thought I was hiding it until we went to see the fertility doctor. I told her I had PCOS and she asked me, infront of him, about facial hair. I said yes because I didn't want to lie to her. I turned to him and kind of apologized..and he said he knew about it. I was embarassed at first but we talked about it. I tweeze on occasion but there is just so much of it that I can't.  So my question is this...has anyone who has PCOS and facial hair noticed any kind of change in their hair growth. They say that the surgery is supposed to release the estrogen that is trapped by the fat in your body. So my first thought was that the hair would go away. I am tentativly scheduled for Lab-Band for July 15th. My sister in law had the Lap-Band in August of last year. She also had PCOS and had been trying to have a baby for 7 years. 6 months after her surgery, she was pregnant. So I am kind of hopong all my female parts will start working again.  Thanks for reading!

My hair growth began to slow down about 4 months post op.  I don't seem to develop hair in any new areas, but my chin hair still grows, just much slower.  My cycle is regular (every 36-39 days).  My female parts have begun to work much better!  So, much in fact that hubby and I are expecting a baby!  So, there is definitely hope.  All the best to you!

Hi! You are totally right. the release of all that stored up hormones does reduce the side effects of PCOS. Unfortunately there is no real cure for PCOS, but loseing weight does put it into remission. Some studies show that keeping the weight OFF will KEEP it in remission! I have a lot of info on my profile page about it, feel free to surf through all my junk and take a look! I know that PCOS was key in my mind when i chose weight loss surgery as my tool...i wanted to get the weight off, and KEEP it off..maintainance is the most important part if we don't want it to come back!
And i hear you about the facial hair. I never let anyone touch my face, and my husband always tries to like, touch my chin to turn my face or something and i jerk away. He actually bargged in on me one day while i was in the shower shaving and was like "were you just SHAVING??" so he found out about it that way *lol* i laugh, but i was so embarrassed. He knows about it, but we choose to ignore it now. I just had my WLS, so i'm hoping to see some improvements soon, Good luck to you on yours! Remember you can always research and always find what's best for you!!

I want to start by saying I know what you are going through.  I have suffered with hair problems as a result of PCOS since high school.  It is a terrible thing and stifles your self esteem like crazy!  Argh! I hate body hair!  I started having laser treatments also.  My facial hair got a lot better after surgery, but then it started back once my hormones got normalized.  The wls put my body into a shock I guess, and everything was not the same... but I still have the laser hair removal and my gyn has me on spironolactone which will cut down the male hormones that cause the hair to grow.  I tweeze every night for about 15 minutes or 30 minutes...  just cleaning up my face as the hairs grow back in... that way it doesn't get too overwhelming.  I don't shave anymore UNLESS I am going to a very special function and want NO hair at all, as in a clean smooth baby butt face! lol.  But once that hair starts growing back in, its twiggly and stubbly.  I would rather spend time tweezing it.  I have a magnification mirror that is lit, and put another little 5x mirror on it with a suction cup.    I just found a 10x suction cup mirror at Big Lots and baby that one really gives me some insight to where those hairs are!!!  Surgery isn't a cure, but from what I understand, the RNY does much better for the hairgrowth and PCOS than the lapband.  There is an article on the effect of wls and PCOS but I will try to find it as I can't locate it right now...  OK here it is.  PCOS & WLS If the link doesn't work, copy and past this into your web browser: http://my.clevelandclinic.org/Documents/Bariatric_Surgery/PCOS.pdf

I am 10 wks po RNY. I was on spiro for my hair growth before surgery. I have since stopped taking it per advice of wls dr. I have found my hair has been growing more. I have to shave (face) every day. Hopefully at my 3 month dr will let me start taking spiro again.

i have pcos and am hoping that my upcoming surgery will alleviate some of my pcos symptoms.  so i can expect to still have to deal with all the hairy areas, just a little more slow-growing?  is the hair any lighter or finer since wls?  and do we still have to take the aldactone indefinitely, even when our hormones even out?

Wehave the same surgery date! I am allso hoping that surgery will help my hormones even out. I have read that women who have PCOS and has surgery..their symtoms slow down but then come back.  I mean I just can not believe that no matter what we do, we have to live with this for the rest of our lives....

omg, we're like surgery buddies!  too cool.  i wish you the best of luck w/yours. pcos stinks.  i am hoping that i can get down enough weight to at least make the symptoms more managable.

Me too! I am scheduled for July 15th... and as soon as  I saw the topic... I was like thats me!.... I am getting laser hair removal.... i hate looking like a wolf!  I am hoping I don't have problems getting pregnant but I won't worry about that for another 5 yrs... I'm getting married in April =0) Keep me updated!!