Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome – PCOS

It is a common endocrinal disorder, one of the commonest causes of infertility amongst women, but the exact cause of this syndrome is unknown. When we see the word “endocrinal” we know that this is linked to hormones, and in the case of PCOS, the principle hormone affected is insulin which regulates blood sugar levels. Any disorder affecting the insulin mechanism may result in a lack of balance. In this case, it is excessive insulin secretion which triggers androgen secretion from the ovaries. And that explains the 3 most debilitating symptoms of the condition, namely, fertility, weight gain and abnormal facial and body hair growth.

I was surprised to see that 1 in 10 women suffer from it (according to the NHS website) , but there seems to be very little support around it. I found a UK website but that doesn't seem to have been updated recently. There was stronger website but that was Canadian, and I see it is also in New Zealand, worth a look though. Maybe this is because there is no known cure for it, but there are some things that you can do to make the symptoms better, and maybe this would be how a supportive website might be able to help, because although there is no known cure – it is not a hopeless situation. Where insulin is concerned, it comes down to diet, exercise and we know that is easier said than done. I’m reflecting on this to see if there might be anything I could do that wouldn’t be a “me too” or same old same old thing.

In the meanwhile, the reason that I see PCOS sufferers is linked to hair growth.  One of the biggest offender to a decrease in confidence is facial hair, and laser treatment can help. It doesn’t take long to deliver a laser treatment to the face, so I have reduced my prices for facial hair removal for suffers – because it doesn’t take much to bring a spring to someone’s step and it costs us very little to care.

It should be emphasised though – that we cannot permanently remove the facial hair – we can only control it. Electrolysis is the only way to remove hair permanently, but laser is a great start.

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