Question:
What obese woman have dealt with facial hair?
I am pre-op for Gastric Bypass for July 27th 2009 and I have been dealing with facial hair such as thick hair above the lip and hair on the chin and under and sideburns trying to grow in. Please let me know if this is a common hormonal inbalance for obese females and if it goes away after surgery or at least decreases..thanks — ChristinaF (posted on July 21, 2009)
July 21, 2009
i also have facial hair.i have had it most of my adult life,now 38.my
surgery is july 28th.i just seen a commercial tongiht advertising VANIQA so
go to vaniqa.com and check it out.$25 and $60 dollar coupons.
— carolyn1970
July 21, 2009
I am two years out from RNY and after losing 135 lbs. I still fight the
face hair everyday... Nothing changed about that...I am going to ask my
doctor about the vaniqa. I sure hope it will help.. I guess it does not
help that I am 54 years old.
— purplepassion555
July 21, 2009
i have this same problem-- it's not my upper lip so much as it is my
chin!!! i had laser hair removal 6 years ago which helped for a spell
until MORE hair grew. i have been on various testosterone blockers and
still nothing. i just shave the damn thing EVERY morning. it's
disgusting. i guess if i ever have the money i will go for MORE hair
removal.
— greenpunchbuggie
July 21, 2009
I'm getting a little fuzz but I have also tested as positive for
perimenopaus. I just hope I don't get a hairy chest!
— lesleigh07
July 21, 2009
I have waxed sense my early 20's. I have hair on my upper lip, chin, neck
and side burns. I hate to say it but I think my hair growth has gotten
worse sense the surgery. I use to wax about once a month, now I wax every
two weeks. It is driving me crazy. What is a girl to do?
— dsquire
July 21, 2009
Hi, Christina... facial hair growth is just a normal thing as we age. I
got my first "whisker" on my chin at about age 35. Female
comediennes make whole shows about it. I still pick out the whiskers with
a pair of tweezers every 3 or 4 days. Problem is, now that I'm 56, some of
them have turned white, and they are very hard to see, but pokey to feel.
If they bother you, your best bet is electrolysis, but like another poster
said, others will eventually grow in other places. There is Nair (or some
other product) for female facial hair, or bleaching products so they don't
look so obnoxious. And yes, facial hair CAN be affected or caused by
hormones called androgens (sometimes related to obsitey - at least my PCP
told me years ago that the extra hair I was growing was caused by this) -
it's called hirsutism and can be caused by Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome,
Cushings Syndrome, Congenital adrenal hyperplasia, tumors, medications,
family history or ethnic background (specifically Mediterannian, Middle
Eastern, and Asian backgrounds). Especially if you have thick, coarse hair
growing on other parts of your body, like your chest, or back...and you
find your voice deepening or changing, and you experience a change in
musculature or anything unusual, you will want to make an appointment with
an endocrinologist or dermatologist so that they can determine what's
causing it, and prescribe treatment or give recommendations.
— Erica Alikchihoo
July 21, 2009
Ever since my youngest son was born 18 years ago I have had a thick peach
fuzz, hard to see but feels like velvet on my face. About 5 years ago I
started shaving it off, about once a month. I am 55 years old, and it does
not get better or worse with the weight loss. Shaving it does not make it
wirey or dark, it still comes in soft and fuzzy and thick. Shaving it
helps me be able to wear makeup without looking like a freak! Good luck on
that expensive sounding stuff. I am sticking with the once a month shave.
— cydthekid50
July 21, 2009
PCOS- Poly cystic ovarian syndrome - is all part of the vicious cycle.
Slows metabolism, causes weight gain, causes extra testosterone in females,
which causes facial hair growth and many other presents such as high
triglycerides....and insulin resistance....google it and read about it.
You'll probably recognize many of the symptoms.
By the way, I had RNY 8 months ago....the facial hair has not let up
(wax/tweeze/bleach) BUT, the good new is ALL of the other problems have
gone into remission. From the first day of my surgery, no more injections
or pills for type II diabetes, no more blood pressure meds, no more
cholesterol or triglyceride meds. The only med I still need is for
hypothyroidism. Just got much blood work done, everything is exactly where
it should be "in range" without meds.
Good luck to you.
— Dee L.
July 22, 2009
Hi Group! I'm Cindy and this is my first post since signing up. I can't
believe all the great information on this forum! :-) I am working on
completing all of my pre-op testing and hoping for a surgery date any day
now. I am so glad to hear other women have this facial hair problem. I have
had it for about 25 years now. When I was about 25, I had a severe hormonal
imbalance. I was about 100lbs less than I am now and much more active, so
I'm not exactly sure what triggered it. I had one Dr tell me later on it
may have been PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome since ever since a teen I never
had regular periods. Anyway, I didn't see a Dr until it had been almost 6
months since my last period and I started developing heavy facial hair on
my chin and neck. A month or so on birth control pills and I was regular
again but the OB-GYN told me that my body had basically gone through male
puberty due to the high amount of testosterone and progesterone and almost
non-existant estrogen in my system. The facial hair was permanent and I
would have to either use diplatories, shave, electrolysis (can we say
Ouch!) or now laser. Nair/Neet just didn't get rid of the hair for me so I
simply shave every day or so. Sorry to burst your bubble but you are
pretty much stuck with the hair unless you shell out the money for several
laser treatments as hair grows in stages and one treatment cannot get all
of the hair at one time. It can end up being pretty pricey and some types
can hurt depending on how much pigment you have in your skin. It also
doesn't work all that great if any of your hair is starting to turn
grey/white, which I hate to admit mine is starting to do. Anyway Good
luck with your surgery!
— Cynthia W.
July 23, 2009
I had facial hair that I had to shave like a man every other day. My
solution which I have been very happy with was to have Lazer hair removal.
For the hair that turned white, I had to have electroylis.(which is
painful). I have had at least a years worth of treatment alternating
between lazer & electrolysis. I saw the dermatologist every 2 wks
whereby you end up with no more than 1 lazer & 1 electroysis per month.
I wish I had the lazer done years ago, before my dark hair turned white,
which the lazer does not work on. Now my skin feels like a baby and I just
left the Dr. @ hour ago since I had 2 hairs grow in that were white. It is
more costly than waxing, etc. but waxing can produce bumps, & I have no
bumps. My suggestion, see a board certified dermatogist and stop shaving,
waxing, and feeling embarased. People tell me how great my skin looks and
like I said, it's been a year and overall, I would do it again and think
lazer is the best thing out there. Oh I also had lazer done 6 yrs ago, but
back then that didn't last, so I think they have improved the machines and
the results are dramatic. My daughter has polycystic disease & she also
had enormous hair on her face. It was her who encourged me to give lazer
another try, after seeing her results, I waited 2yrs just to make sure she
didn't revert, and then I contacted her doctor. Best decision I've made in
a long time, other than the life saving gastric bypass surgery.
— Faune W.
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