Laser Hair Removal Treatment for PCOS Patient

Question

I have PCOS - Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. (My weight is normal, skintype II-III, dark follicle)  I have excessive hair all over my body, but I only go for laser treatments on my face. I have been treated for 8 years with IPL Quantum, Diode Lightsheer and for the last two years with Allexandrite (755nm). The facial hair is reduced but not completely removed. It's thinner but still visible. Should I switch to Diode again? Due to the laser treatments, I'm afraid of the long term side effects to my health. I will be waiting for your expert advice. Thank you.

Harold J. Kaplan, MD · Answer

Hi Soffie,
Sorry to hear that this has been such a long journey for you. It sounds like currently you are on the right path. For a light skinned dark-haired patient like yourself, the Lumenis Lightsheer and the Alexandrite lasers are both excellent choices. We are not proponents of IPL and feel you would be wasting your time with this treatment so stick with the Diode or Alexandrite lasers.
Excess hair associated with PCOS sometimes can seem like it will never go away. But, it can be controlled. The problem is that hair that's fine and colorless one year can be coarse and colored the next year because of this condition. So, patients with this condition are in a constant state of catch up. But, laser hair removal is still the best solution for this problem, provided the right lasers are being used.  Hope this helps. Good luck.

Richard D. Gentile, MD · Answer

Over the past 10 years we have treated many PCOS patients with IPL, Light Sheer Diode and Comet Diode lasers. None of these treatments will adversely affect your health. We prefer the light sheer diode because most studies demonstrate a slightly better outcome when compared to IPL and other wavelengths.

Laser Hair Removal Treatment for PCOS Patient

Answers (2)