A presentation given to clients of Lynton Lasers. The talk focused on what it's like to live with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), particularly as it relates to excess hair and acne and how laser clinicians can help with PCOS clients

1. Living with PCOS
Rachel Hawkes, Chair
Verity – The PCOS Self Help Group
chair@verity-pcos.org.uk

2. Who is Verity?
• UK charity for women with PCOS
• Formed in 1997 and run by volunteers
• Own and manage PCOS UK
• Produce information leaflets
• Publish a twice yearly newsletter
• Assist locate research participants
• Run a website and discussion forum
• Work with media

3. What is PCOS?
• Affects millions of women
• Runs in families
• Leading cause of infertility in women
• Has long term health risks
- Type 2 diabetes
- Heart disease
- Endometrial cancer
• Affects quality of life

4. PCOS Symptoms
“Thief of womanhood”
• Irregular or complete lack of periods
• Irregular or no ovulation
• Unwanted facial and / or body hair
• Oily skin and acne
• Male pattern hair loss
• Depression and mood changes
• Weight problems

5. Worst PCOS symptom?
Source: Verity - 2008 poll of over 3,000 PCOS women

6. Long term health risks
• Quality of life self esteem, self worth
life, esteem
- Acne, hair loss, excess hair,
alopecia, obesity, depression
• Type 2 diabetes
- Insulin resistance, obesity
• Endometrial cancer
- Lack of periods
• Heart disease
- Obesity

7. Biggest PCOS worries
Source: Verity - 2008 poll of over 1,750 PCOS women

8. Treatment options
• No one treatment for PCOS
• No national guidelines (NICE)
• Lifestyle change (diet and exercise)
• Treating individual symptoms
- Fertility (e g clomid, IVF ovarian drilling)
(e.g. clomid IVF,
- Excess hair (e.g. Vaniqa, laser, electrolysis)
- Obesity (e.g. Metformin, low GI)
- Alopecia (e g Flutamide)
(e.g.

9. Skin discolouration
• Armpits, creases of
skin, nape of neck
, p
• Velvety feel to the skin
• Ski t
Skin tags
• More common in teens
• Treatment
- Weight loss
- Laser (?)
Source: Dr Alison Layton, consultant dermatologist

10. Source: Dr Alison Layton, consultant dermatologist

11. Hair problems & acne
Hirsutism 66%
Alopecia 6%
Al i
Acne 35%
Source: Balen AH. Human Reproduction 1995 10: 2107-2111

12. Hirsutism
“Excessive facial
and / or body hairs
y
in a male pattern
distribution
distribution”
Due to androgen
hormones acting on
sensitive hair
follicles
Source: Dr Alison Layton, consultant dermatologist

13. Treatment of hirsutism
• Weight loss
• Cosmetic means
– Bleaching
• Direct hair removal for hirsutism
– Short term effects for days of weeks
• Shaving, depilatories, plucking,
threading, waxing,
threading waxing epilators
– Longer lasting effects
• Electrolysis and lasers
Source: Dr Alison Layton, consultant dermatologist

14. Common treatment
Source: Verity - 2008 poll of over 1,100 PCOS women

15. What cysters say...
• “I feel so completely unattractive that I
p y
think I’ll never be happy”
• “I don’t feel like a woman, more like a
I don t woman
post-op transvestite”
• “I have thick black hair like a man’s
beard, I am totally ashamed and cry
most mornings when I have to run to the
bathroom before my fiancé to shave and
slap on makeup to hide the stubble”

16. Day to day emotions
Source: Verity - 2008 poll of over 1,100 PCOS women

17. How can you help?
• Be sensitive and understanding
- Embarrassed, judged, humiliated
• Awareness of PCOS
- Hair may grow back
• Encourage patients to try for funded
treatment
t t t
- Write supportive letters to GPs
• Options available to minimise treatments
- Lifestyle, Vaniqa etc

18. Questions?
Website www.verity-pcos.org.uk
www verity pcos org uk
Email chair@verity-pcos.org.uk
chair@verity pcos org uk
Blog verity-pcos.blogspot.com
verity pcos blogspot com
Twitter twitter.com/veritypcos
twitter com/veritypcos
Facebook facebook.com/veritypcos
facebook com/veritypcos