Question:
What obese woman have dealt with facial hair?

I am pre-op for Gastric Bypass for July 27th 2009 and I have been dealing with facial hair such as thick hair above the lip and hair on the chin and under and sideburns trying to grow in. Please let me know if this is a common hormonal inbalance for obese females and if it goes away after surgery or at least decreases..thanks    — ChristinaF (posted on July 21, 2009)

July 21, 2009
i also have facial hair.i have had it most of my adult life,now 38.my surgery is july 28th.i just seen a commercial tongiht advertising VANIQA so go to vaniqa.com and check it out.$25 and $60 dollar coupons.
   — carolyn1970

July 21, 2009
I am two years out from RNY and after losing 135 lbs. I still fight the face hair everyday... Nothing changed about that...I am going to ask my doctor about the vaniqa. I sure hope it will help.. I guess it does not help that I am 54 years old.
   — purplepassion555

July 21, 2009
i have this same problem-- it's not my upper lip so much as it is my chin!!! i had laser hair removal 6 years ago which helped for a spell until MORE hair grew. i have been on various testosterone blockers and still nothing. i just shave the damn thing EVERY morning. it's disgusting. i guess if i ever have the money i will go for MORE hair removal.
   — greenpunchbuggie

July 21, 2009
I'm getting a little fuzz but I have also tested as positive for perimenopaus. I just hope I don't get a hairy chest!
   — lesleigh07

July 21, 2009
I have waxed sense my early 20's. I have hair on my upper lip, chin, neck and side burns. I hate to say it but I think my hair growth has gotten worse sense the surgery. I use to wax about once a month, now I wax every two weeks. It is driving me crazy. What is a girl to do?
   — dsquire

July 21, 2009
Hi, Christina... facial hair growth is just a normal thing as we age. I got my first "whisker" on my chin at about age 35. Female comediennes make whole shows about it. I still pick out the whiskers with a pair of tweezers every 3 or 4 days. Problem is, now that I'm 56, some of them have turned white, and they are very hard to see, but pokey to feel. If they bother you, your best bet is electrolysis, but like another poster said, others will eventually grow in other places. There is Nair (or some other product) for female facial hair, or bleaching products so they don't look so obnoxious. And yes, facial hair CAN be affected or caused by hormones called androgens (sometimes related to obsitey - at least my PCP told me years ago that the extra hair I was growing was caused by this) - it's called hirsutism and can be caused by Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Cushings Syndrome, Congenital adrenal hyperplasia, tumors, medications, family history or ethnic background (specifically Mediterannian, Middle Eastern, and Asian backgrounds). Especially if you have thick, coarse hair growing on other parts of your body, like your chest, or back...and you find your voice deepening or changing, and you experience a change in musculature or anything unusual, you will want to make an appointment with an endocrinologist or dermatologist so that they can determine what's causing it, and prescribe treatment or give recommendations.
   — Erica Alikchihoo

July 21, 2009
Ever since my youngest son was born 18 years ago I have had a thick peach fuzz, hard to see but feels like velvet on my face. About 5 years ago I started shaving it off, about once a month. I am 55 years old, and it does not get better or worse with the weight loss. Shaving it does not make it wirey or dark, it still comes in soft and fuzzy and thick. Shaving it helps me be able to wear makeup without looking like a freak! Good luck on that expensive sounding stuff. I am sticking with the once a month shave.
   — cydthekid50

July 21, 2009
PCOS- Poly cystic ovarian syndrome - is all part of the vicious cycle. Slows metabolism, causes weight gain, causes extra testosterone in females, which causes facial hair growth and many other presents such as high triglycerides....and insulin resistance....google it and read about it. You'll probably recognize many of the symptoms. By the way, I had RNY 8 months ago....the facial hair has not let up (wax/tweeze/bleach) BUT, the good new is ALL of the other problems have gone into remission. From the first day of my surgery, no more injections or pills for type II diabetes, no more blood pressure meds, no more cholesterol or triglyceride meds. The only med I still need is for hypothyroidism. Just got much blood work done, everything is exactly where it should be "in range" without meds. Good luck to you.
   — Dee L.

July 22, 2009
Hi Group! I'm Cindy and this is my first post since signing up. I can't believe all the great information on this forum! :-) I am working on completing all of my pre-op testing and hoping for a surgery date any day now. I am so glad to hear other women have this facial hair problem. I have had it for about 25 years now. When I was about 25, I had a severe hormonal imbalance. I was about 100lbs less than I am now and much more active, so I'm not exactly sure what triggered it. I had one Dr tell me later on it may have been PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome since ever since a teen I never had regular periods. Anyway, I didn't see a Dr until it had been almost 6 months since my last period and I started developing heavy facial hair on my chin and neck. A month or so on birth control pills and I was regular again but the OB-GYN told me that my body had basically gone through male puberty due to the high amount of testosterone and progesterone and almost non-existant estrogen in my system. The facial hair was permanent and I would have to either use diplatories, shave, electrolysis (can we say Ouch!) or now laser. Nair/Neet just didn't get rid of the hair for me so I simply shave every day or so. Sorry to burst your bubble but you are pretty much stuck with the hair unless you shell out the money for several laser treatments as hair grows in stages and one treatment cannot get all of the hair at one time. It can end up being pretty pricey and some types can hurt depending on how much pigment you have in your skin. It also doesn't work all that great if any of your hair is starting to turn grey/white, which I hate to admit mine is starting to do. Anyway Good luck with your surgery!
   — Cynthia W.

July 23, 2009
I had facial hair that I had to shave like a man every other day. My solution which I have been very happy with was to have Lazer hair removal. For the hair that turned white, I had to have electroylis.(which is painful). I have had at least a years worth of treatment alternating between lazer & electrolysis. I saw the dermatologist every 2 wks whereby you end up with no more than 1 lazer & 1 electroysis per month. I wish I had the lazer done years ago, before my dark hair turned white, which the lazer does not work on. Now my skin feels like a baby and I just left the Dr. @ hour ago since I had 2 hairs grow in that were white. It is more costly than waxing, etc. but waxing can produce bumps, & I have no bumps. My suggestion, see a board certified dermatogist and stop shaving, waxing, and feeling embarased. People tell me how great my skin looks and like I said, it's been a year and overall, I would do it again and think lazer is the best thing out there. Oh I also had lazer done 6 yrs ago, but back then that didn't last, so I think they have improved the machines and the results are dramatic. My daughter has polycystic disease & she also had enormous hair on her face. It was her who encourged me to give lazer another try, after seeing her results, I waited 2yrs just to make sure she didn't revert, and then I contacted her doctor. Best decision I've made in a long time, other than the life saving gastric bypass surgery.
   — Faune W.

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