Acne

If you have PCOS, dealing with oily skin or breakouts can become a common occurrence. You might have hoped that adulthood was finally a time to wave goodbye to acne, but for women with PCOS, the condition can continue into adulthood. Up to 43% of adult women with PCOS experience acne.

People with PCOS tend to get acne on their lower face, including the jawline, chin, and upper neck. You might find it gets worse around the time of your period. This is sometimes known as “hormonal pattern” acne.

Women with PCOS experience acne due to a hormonal imbalance. PCOS leads to high levels of high levels of androgen hormones (e.g., testosterone) produced by the ovaries and adrenal glands. These hormones can increase sebum (an oily, waxy substance) and skin cell production, leading to acne.

Experiencing acne in adulthood can be tough to deal with and may affect your mood and self-confidence. However, there are plenty of treatment options available. 

Changes In Hair Growth

Women with PCOS may experience excessive hair growth, thinning hair, or even hair loss.

Excessive hair growth (also known as ‘hirsutism’) often occurs in unwanted areas of the body (e.g. upper lip, chin, chest, back, abdomen, arms and thighs). Around three-quarters of people with PCOS experience this symptom. In people with PCOS, high levels of sex hormones (e.g. testosterone) send the hair follicles into overdrive, leading to excessive hair growth.

Alopecia (better known as female pattern hair loss) is another distressing symptom of PCOS. It describes progressive hair thinning or loss in women. High sex hormone levels also play a part in hair loss. In some people, the hair follicles in the scalp are over-sensitive to testosterone, leading to hair loss instead of hair growth. The reason isn’t clear, but genetics may play a role.

Weight Problems

For many women, weight problems are a frustrating and upsetting symptom of PCOS. You might find yourself gaining weight, for no apparent reason, or struggling to lose weight. Losing weight isn’t easy at the best of times but if you have PCOS, it can be even more difficult. Yes, there really is a reason! It isn’t “just you”. 

People with PCOS are more likely to be insulin resistant. When your body is resistant to the hormone insulin, it stops using it properly. This means that you end up with lots of extra unused insulin floating around your body (known as high circulating insulin levels). Insulin is a fat-storing hormone, so the more that accumulates, the harder it becomes to burn body fat. High levels of insulin can also make you feel tired, bloated and hungry. 

For women with PCOS, body weight is a little more complex than we think. Weight gain can be a cause and a symptom of PCOS. High androgen levels can cause people to gain weight around their middle (known as ‘central fat’). Central fat causes (yes, you guessed it…) insulin resistance, which then causes the ovaries and adrenal glands to produce more androgens. But, remember that not everyone with PCOS will experience weight problems.

Period Problems

Most of us have a love/hate relationship with our periods, or menstruation. A period is part of the monthly menstrual cycle when a person bleeds from their vagina, in response to changes in hormone levels. 

A menstrual cycle is considered to begin on the first day of your period. Usually, the average menstrual cycle is every 28 days with most cycles lasting between 25-30 days. The volume of blood usually lost in a period is around 30-80ml (about an eggcup full).

When it comes to periods, things don’t always go to plan, especially when you have PCOS. Rest assured, if you have PCOS and are having period problems, you’re not alone. A whopping 75-85% of women with PCOS experience period problems, including infrequent, irregular, heavy, or prolonged menstrual cycles (longer than 35 days). The most common period problems in PCOS are long cycles or a lack of periods.

Hormonal imbalances are usually the cause of period problems in PCOS. Problem periods can be more than “just an inconvenience”. Left untreated, they can make it difficult to get pregnant and can put you at higher risk of certain health conditions.

If you haven’t yet received a diagnosis of PCOS, but you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, please make an appointment with your doctor. Your doctor will take your blood pressure and send you for blood tests to measure your hormone levels and to check for other conditions. They’re also likely to check for high cholesterol and diabetes. You may even need an ultrasound scan to see whether you have a high number of follicles in your ovaries (polycystic ovaries). Having a diagnosis means that you have ruled out other conditions and can at least move forward, work on a plan and take control of your PCOS.

By not addressing the symptoms of your PCOS, such as being overweight and having irregular periods, you can increase your chance of developing type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, endometrial hyperplasia (a thickening of the wall lining of the uterus) and endometrial cancer, as well as ongoing problems with fertility. 33 If you do become pregnant, there is a greater risk of experiencing complications during your pregnancy, particularly if you’re overweight.

It’s important to take control of your condition. So, as well as taking supplements and embracing a healthy lifestyle, it’s vital to have regular checks for your weight, blood pressure and glucose levels in the blood.