Listen to Story PCOS or polycystic ovarian syndrome has become a common health condition for many women worldwide. While it is the most prevailing endocrine disorder in women and the pre-eminent cause of infertility, with the worldwide range of 6-26%, and in India it is 3.7-22.
5%. In women with PCOS, the body produces high levels of androgens, such as testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). These are called male hormones which stimulate hair follicles , leading to excessive growth on the face, chest, and back.
The hormonal imbalance disrupts the normal hair growth cycle, causing hair to become thicker, darker, and more persistent. "In PCOS, an increase in male hormones is often connected to insulin resistance, which can lead to type 2 diabetes. When the body doesn't respond well to insulin , the ovaries produce more male hormones, causing more facial hair to grow," said Dr Prachi Sarin Sethi, Senior Consultant, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Motherhood Hospital, Gurugram.
This condition called hirsutism, or excessive facial and body hair, is one of the most distressing symptoms for women with PCOS. In women with PCOS, the body produces high levels of androgens which cause excessive hair growth in face and neck. (Photo: Getty Images) This is why this syndrome is also characterised by long-term issues like infertility , type 2 diabetes, heart disease, sleep disorders, mental health problems like depression and anxiety, highlighted Dr Shelly Singh, Senior Consultant at Ro.