Laser Hair Removal and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Laser hair removal has been around for a number of years and it keeps gaining in effectiveness and popularity.  Few people enjoy the daily, weekly, or if you are REALLY lucky, the twice daily ritual of shaving.  Light based therapy, whether by laser or intense pulsed light (IPL) can cut the number of times that you need to shave by potentially up to 75%!  For most of us, shaving is just a matter of inconvenience.  Sadly, there are some medical conditions that may cause excessive hair growth on your body (hirsutism).  This excessive growth may place a heavy burden on your mental well being.


A common causes of hirsutism is polycystic ovary syndrome.  An explanation of PCOS is outside of the scope of this blog, but easily investigated online.  With that being said, everyone’s hair density and growth is dependent on their hormones.  Under normal circumstances, women can expect a significant hormonal change approximately every five years, in addition to puberty, pregnancy, pre-menopause, menopause, and post menopause.  PCOS can cause a significant imbalance in a woman’s hormonal balance, constantly activating and/or reactivating hair growth.


Light based hair removal permanently kills hair follicles, leading to a permanent reduction in hair in any given area.  For our intents and purposes, the number of follicles a person has are limitless.  Laser is not a permanent fix to hirsutism caused by PCOS and follow-up treatments will be needed, as the constant hormone imbalance will activate new hair follicles in the treated area.


Please contact us at On Second Thought Laser Services with any questions regarding this service.