People often think that the medical and beauty community are two separate entities, and there’s no way both can co-exist especially when it comes to solutions and treatments. But that’s not true. A fine example is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis, gynaecological conditions that affect the reproductive systems of about 30% of women in their 20s and 30s1.
While both disorders carry different symptoms and affect different parts of the reproductive system, both can cause fertility issues, mess with your period and cause hair problems. PCOS, in particular, causes hirsutism in women, a condition in which hair grows in excessive amounts on areas such as the face, chest and back. Male pattern hair loss caused by PCOS is not uncommon either.
At Supersmooth, we’re observing an increasing number of patients with PCOS who wish to treat their excessive hair growth with laser hair removal. There are also the few who end up in the middle of this gynaecological Venn diagram with both PCOS and endometriosis. If you’re experiencing unexplained symptoms, here’s a little guide to help you determine if you might have PCOS or endometriosis (or both) and whether laser hair removal is something that can help.
PCOS vs endometriosis: How are they different?
PCOS
PCOS is a disorder that stems from hormonal imbalance. It occurs when a woman’s ovaries or adrenal glands produce high levels of androgens (a type of male hormone), hence the hirsutism. About 5-20% of women of childbearing age have this condition, but about half go undiagnosed2.
Patients with PCOS are likely to experience:
- Irregular periods; a period that comes every 2-3 months or even once or twice a year, and when it does come, it can be pretty heavy
- Unexplained weight gain due to hormonal issues; women with PCOS are more likely to be overweight or obese
- Hair that grows in unexpected places like your chin, sides of your face, abdomen, chest and back
- Hair loss that onsets at the top of the head and towards the side of the scalp, creating a “triangular thinning”
- Oily skin with acne
- Infertility
Endometriosis
Endometriosis occurs when the tissue that lines your uterus (endometrium) grows in other parts of the body in uncontrolled, abnormal amounts. Unlike PCOS, which is associated with high levels of androgens, endometriosis is associated with high levels of estradiol, a type of estrogen. About 10% of women are affected by endometriosis3 , and its hallmark symptoms revolve around pain, including:
- Intensely painful and severe cramps that can be debilitating
- Pain during or after sex
- Pain when urinating or during bowel movements
- Generalised pelvic pain especially before periods
- Infertility
Although both conditions share some symptoms, for the most part, they are pretty distinct and different.
PCOS | Endometriosis | |
Period pattern and frequency | Irregular or missed periods with heavy bleeding | Painful periods with heavy bleeding and some bleeding between periods |
Pain | Pelvic pain | Pain during or after sex, during urination or bowel movements, pelvic pain before periods |
Effects on hair production | Excess body hair, male pattern hair loss on head due to androgens | Female pattern hair loss on head due to excess oestrogen |
Difficulty getting pregnant | Yes | Yes |
Other side effects | Acne, oily skin, weight gain, dark, thickened skin | Fatigue, low energy, digestive issues |
Is it possible to get both PCOS and endometriosis?
Yes — although uncommon, you can get both PCOS and endometriosis at the same time. A 2015 study4 found that women with PCOS are more likely to be diagnosed with endometriosis, and another 20145 study reported a strong link between both conditions.
In terms of symptoms, there are many possibilities. For one, you might rarely get your period (PCOS), but when you do, it’s terribly painful (endo). Or you could have consistent pelvic pain and digestive issues (endo), and hair is growing in strange places all over your body (PCOS).
How Supersmooth can help
Of course, the first thing to do is see a gynaecologist to get a confirmed diagnosis and get treated. Hormonal birth control is usually the first line of treatment for both conditions. Beyond that, treatment options diverge.
Since PCOS treatments are more targeted at symptoms, your doctor may prescribe medications to handle the acne and hair growth and also implement lifestyle and diet changes. Here’s where laser hair removal can complement your therapy.
Laser hair removal treatments help with permanently handling excessive hair growth by directly stopping hair follicles from producing any more hair — which means after a series of sessions, this excessive hair will either be permanently gone or at least much finer and less noticeable. Due to the laser’s precise wavelength and light energy, laser hair removal also makes hair removal achievable for women with richer skin tones without the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Read more about Super Hair Removal for permanent and painless hair removal here.
A study conducted by the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK found that on average, 95% of women with PCOS who did laser treatment were overall very satisfied, and most saw a mean hair-free interval of about 6 weeks after 6 treatments6. More importantly, laser treatments have been found to alleviate depression and anxiety in women with facial hirsutism due to the treatments’ success in reducing the severity of facial hair7.
These findings are indeed encouraging and motivate us even more to make laser hair removal accessible to women from all backgrounds. If you suffer from PCOS or endometriosis and would like to find out our laser hair removal options, our friendly staff are more than happy to help!
References
- Ajmal, N., Khan, S. Z., & Shaikh, R. (2019). Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and genetic predisposition: A review article. European journal of obstetrics & gynecology and reproductive biology: X, 3, 100060. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurox.2019.100060
- http://www.pcosfoundation.org/what-is-pcos
- Giudice, L. C., & Kao, L. C. (2004). Endometriosis. Lancet (London, England), 364(9447), 1789–1799. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(04)17403-5
- Hart, R., & Doherty, D. A. (2015). The potential implications of a PCOS diagnosis on a woman’s long-term health using data linkage. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 100(3), 911–919. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2014-3886
- Holoch, K., Savaris, R., Forstein, D., Miller, P., Higdon, H., Likes, C., & Lessey, B. (2014). Coexistence of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Endometriosis in Women with Infertility. Journal Of Endometriosis And Pelvic Pain Disorders, 6(2), 79-83. https://doi.org/10.5301/je.5000181
- McGill, D. J., Hutchison, C., McKenzie, E., McSherry, E., & Mackay, I. R. (2007). Laser hair removal in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Journal of plastic, reconstructive & aesthetic surgery : JPRAS, 60(4), 426–431. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjps.2006.11.006
- Clayton, W. J., Lipton, M., Elford, J., Rustin, M., & Sherr, L. (2005). A randomized controlled trial of laser treatment among hirsute women with polycystic ovary syndrome. The British journal of dermatology, 152(5), 986–992. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2133.2005.06426.x
