Natural Treatments for Hirsutism
(Excessive Hair Growth)

Reducing Hair Growth with Natural Methods

PCOS Diet for Healthier Hair

Supplements for Hair Problems

Exercise

Get Help from a Knowledgeable Physician

Reducing Hair Growth with Natural Methods

A healthy diet, supplementation, exercise, stress management, and quality healthcare will have a profoundly beneficial effect for PCOS women with hirustism. A thoughtful self-care program will do much to reduce the manifestations of PCOS, including hirsutism.

This type of program is designed to:

• Reduce the excess insulin that contributes to increased androgen production and hirsutism.(2)
• Help restore your normal menstrual cycle and fertility.
• Help prevent type 2 diabetes and heart disease.(3)

Portions of this program are described below.

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Healthy PCOS Diet

HEALTHY DIET - FATS. You can improve your diet by choosing the appropriate amounts and types of fat and oils. If you are overweight, you can benefit from consuming less than 25% of total calories as fat. Eating the right kind of fats and oils is very important. Olive oil and fish oil supplements are healthy choices.

We recommend you increase your consumption of omega-3 fats, which is one of the essential fatty acids or EFAs. The word "essential" means they are essential for life and must be obtained from the diet because they are not manufactured inside your body. Omega-3 fats are found in cod liver oil, EPA/DHA capsules, and in fatty fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel.

We also recommend you eliminate trans-fatty acids from your diet. A trans-fat is an unsaturated liquid oil that has been chemically transformed into a saturated fat so that it will be a solid instead of a liquid. Margarine, which is a solid made from a liquid, is an example of a product containing trans-fats. The problem with trans-fats is that they have been implicated as contributors to heart disease and diabetes. We have every reason to believe they also contribute to PCOS problems. In packaged products, you can identify a trans-fat by the word "partially hydrogenated". If you see "partially hydrogenated" on any food product label, we recommend that you not consume that product.

HEALTHY DIET - PROTEIN. The consumption of protein is another complex topic. Some of you are on low carbohydrate diets that emphasize adequate protein. If your protein is land animal protein, it also means you may be eating a high saturated fat diet, because saturated fats are found in most animal protein. A diet high in saturated fat is associated with heart disease and diabetes. It also indirectly alters your hormonal patterns.

Consider animal protein foods that are lower in saturated fat such as fish, non-fat cheese, turkey and chicken. Convenient plant-based proteins are soy and rice protein powders, which are fr*e of saturated fat.

HEALTHY DIET - CARBOHYDRATES. The amount and type of carbohydrate you eat will influence your hormones. A diet high in refined carbohydrates will lead to an excessive insulin response, which in turn can stimulate the androgen production that contributes to hirsutism and other PCOS symptoms.

You've probably heard about "low-glycemic carbohydrates". Carbohydrates (starches and sugars) are found in grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruit - and in all manufactured products containing these items. A low-glycemic carbohydrate is one that causes only a small rise in blood sugar, thus avoiding a problem with insulin, which is the hormone that lowers blood sugar.

We favor low glycemic foods. But that's not the whole story. Especially important is whether the carbohydrate is complex or refined. For example, a rice cracker is a refined carbohydrate. Brown rice is a complex carbohydrate. Not only does brown rice give you better nutrition, it's also lower on the glycemic index. You will be healthier and have better balance of your hormones if you consume unrefined, complex carbohydrates as opposed to refined carbohydrates. A complex carbohydrate is something you find in nature, not at the end of an assembly line.

And don't forget that fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, and unprocessed nuts and seeds are nutritious sources of essential fats and protein as well as complex carbohydrates.

HEALTHY DIET - FLUIDS. Even what you drink can have an effect on hirsutism and other PCOS difficulties. For example, studies show that the ingredients in green tea can reduce the effects of testosterone(4).

HEALTHY DIET - CALORIE RESTRICTION. We've spoken about the type of foods to eat. But how much should you eat? A very modest level of calories appears to be effective for reducing insulin levels and increasing sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). SHBG is necessary for the control of testosterone. In one small study using a low-calorie, low-fat diet, 40% of hirsute obese women who lost at least 5% of their body weight had a reduction in hirsutism.(5)

However, low-calorie diets are potential gateways to eating disorders and health-devastating failure experiences. Any calorie restricted diet or any other major change in your diet should be done with the support and supervision of a knowledgeable healthcare provider.

A healthy diet, as described in detail in The Natural Diet Solution for PCOS and Infertility, is crucial for correcting the underlying hormonal imbalances that lead to hirsutism and hair loss.

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Supplements for Hirsutism

SUPPLEMENTATION - VITAMINS & MINERALS. Quite a number of vitamins and minerals are helpful for normalizing insulin and androgens, or reducing the effects of testosterone. They include chromium, vitamin E, magnesium, zinc, copper, and vitamin B6, to name a few.(6-9)

Supplementation may also be indicated if your diet has been less than optimal and if you are taking multiple medications. Take vitamin B6 for example. The processing of foods may transform B6 into another compound that your body can't use.(10). The chronic use of birth control pills has long been suspected of creating a vitamin B6 deficiency, although this has not been conclusively proven.(11).

You want to have some B6 on board because it appears to reduce the production of prolactin (12-13), a hormone that causes testosterone to be taken up by tissues. Some women with PCOS have too much prolactin. Vitamin B6 also dampens the responsiveness of cells to hormones, and when there is a vitamin B6 deficiency, the cells appear to have an exaggerated response to hormones.(14)

Vita-Salute University in Italy studied fifty women who had polycystic ovary syndrome.(20) They took supplemental inositol for six months to determine its effects on skin conditions such as hirsutism (excess hair) and acne.

After 6 months of taking inositol, they had significant reductions of both hirsutism and acne. The researchers concluded their report by saying inositol was "a simple and safe treatment that ameliorates the metabolic profile of patients with PCOS, reducing hirsutism and acne."

In summary, supplementation with vitamins and minerals should be considered for inclusion as part of your overall program to control hirsutism and other PCOS symptoms.

SUPPLEMENTATION - HERBS. There are herbal medicines that work like anti-androgen drugs by inhibiting the enzyme that converts testosterone into the much more potent DHT (dihydrotestosterone). DHT is the hormone in your skin that stimulates hirsutism.

Serenoa repens (saw palmetto) inhibits the conversion of testosterone into the more powerful DHT (dihydrotestosterone). (15-17). There aren't yet any studies of using saw palmetto for treating hirsute PCOS women. However, some health professionals using saw palmetto extract for PCOS have seen favorable results.(18)

Vitex agnus-castus (chastetree berry) has traditionally been used to treat menstrual irregularities and improve fertility. It is thought that vitex normalizes LH (luteinizing hormone). High levels of LH contribute to androgen production.(19) Vitex is an important herb for natural treatment of PCOS.

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Exercise

Regular exercise is a critical component to any program for reducing hirsutism, obesity, insulin resistance and other problems associated with PCOS.

Any exercise is beneficial, for a multitude of reasons. However, you may need to increase the intensity of your exercise to get maximum effect. A recent study reported that intense aerobic exercise for 30 minutes at least 5 times a week improves insulin sensitivity, thus helping to reduce hirsutism. Women who exercised less or not at all didn't have an improvement in insulin sensitivity.(21) Of course, we strongly recommend you consult with your physician before starting any exercise program.

BOTTOM LINE: NUTRITION + EXERCISE. You may be taking drugs because you will do almost anything to get rid of unwanted hair. You can substantially improve your probability of success with better nutrition and exercise. A healthy diet and lifestyle work exactly like drugs do, only there are no side effects.

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Get Help from a Knowledgeable Physician

The final component of your natural approach to dealing with hirsutism and PCOS is to periodically consult with a qualified and knowledgeable physician.

Naturopathic physicians are especially well trained in all of the natural health-building methods outlined above.

A knowledgeable medical or naturopathic doctor will also want to carefully evaluate your organ systems. In order to bring your hormones into balance, your liver, kidneys, adrenals, thyroid and GI tract need to function properly. If there is malfunction, special treatment will be recommended. You need healthy organs if you want to eventually be free of reliance on medications.

Learn more:

Hirsutism Causes and Conventional Treatments

Find out about

Hair Loss and PCOS

Click here for article footnotes.

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d-Pinitol
may be relevant to PCOS