As a woman there are a myriad of things that can impact your skin’s health including hormonal changes and imbalances, stress, or changes in your body. For many women who have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), their struggle with various skin issues can be attributed to hormonal imbalance as a result of their ovaries producing too much of a hormone called, androgens, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Androgens are a group of sex hormones, found in both men and women, and their primary function is to produce physical, male characteristics. While these groups of hormones are naturally made more in men, they have other important roles for women like increasing bone health and producing other cells needed for survival. The imbalance comes in when women’s bodies begin to make high amounts of these hormones, normally more than what their body needs, leading to what we know as PCOS.
According to the World Health Organization, about 6-13% of women of reproductive age are diagnosed with PCOS. Additionally, up to 70% of women remain undiagnosed. The condition can cause defects in a woman’s reproductive system, often showing up through irregular menstrual cycles, infertility, and other skin-related symptoms like excessive facial hair, oily skin and acne.
According to Keisha Wagner-Gaymon, a board-certified nurse practitioner and founder of Peach Fuzz Skin Studio, a Black-owned skincare studio, PCOS shows up as a symptomatology, or a set of symptoms and often impacts Black women differently. Wagner-Gaymon was first introduced to PCOS at the age of 16, when she was diagnosed by her endocrinologist, after being seen for unwanted facial hair. Now, as an adult, alongside her sister, Kristin Wagner, COO, the duo realizes the condition is not as uncommon as they thought, with over 75% of their clientele struggling with it and its impact on their skin. For many women of color symptoms include unwanted hair in a male like pattern — generally on the chest, groin, or face area, Wagner-Gaymon says can sometimes be embarrassing for some women.
“The thing about it is a lot of the time we find out women that come to us they’re at their limit with it — they’re like, I cannot live like this any longer,” explained Wagner-Gaymon. “These are some women that don’t even date because they feel ashamed about it. There’s different degrees of what we’re talking about. We’re talking about, like, some that have extreme facial hair [and] some maybe not as much.”
At their studio, the sisters treat a lot of this unwanted body and facial hair with laser hair removal, a cosmetic method which uses a targeted laser to destroy the hair follicles where unwanted hair is growing. This process makes the hair grow less over the course of time in that specific area.
For women who want to try laser hair removal to get rid of unwanted body hair, Peach Fuzz owners recommend getting treatments done every 4 weeks for facial hair and 6 weeks for body hair removal. With laser hair removal, they recommend being consistent with at least 6 sessions to see results.
In addition to unwanted facial hair, women can also experience hyperpigmentation, acne breakouts and patches of darker skin across your body. Cassandra Watson, who struggles with PCOS, though her PCOS doesn’t manifest itself in excessive body hair, she does have extreme combination skin that makes it difficult to have a stable skincare and makeup routine, she said.
“I have really bad combination skin,” Watson explained. “It’s hard for me to wear makeup, and I have really bad hyperpigmentation. I have high cheekbones, so my hyperpigmentation, a lot of times, rests right underneath my cheekbones, and it sometimes makes me look like I have a five o’clock shadow. The oily skin happens a lot, like in my T-zone, on my nose, my forehead and on my cheeks, my skin will be oily, but it’ll [also] be dry, so I have a lot of flaking a lot of the time.”
To treat her symptoms and continuously build her confidence, Watson recommends using social media to find a community of women who share the same experiences with you. She continuously looks for women who share similar symptoms to find tricks and tips to combat some of the unwanted symptoms.
Additionally, beyond laser hair removal, to treat common other PCOS skin-related symptoms, like acne or unwanted hair, Wagner suggests researching natural products that can help with maintenance care. Through their brand, Fuzz Clinic, the sister duo offer skin care products that can be used pre-laser, post laser and without laser that include natural products. Many of these products include natural ingredients like spearmint, chasteberry and liquorice root, which can aid in hormonal regulation, Wagner-Gaymon said.
With any condition, if you have PCOS or suspect you have PCOS, you should consult with a series of doctors and create a care management team. This way, your team can work simultaneously to better care for your skin and your body, holistically.