Siobhain hopes that her contribution to Movember will help save lives by raising money and awareness for prostate cancer charities.
Her skin is very sensitive, making waxing impossible - on one occasion, the hot wax removed Siobhain's skin along with the hair - and besides, an element of regrowth is necessary to make the waxing treatment effective.
Electrolysis proved ineffective, as the treatment can only remove 10 to 15 hairs at a time - Siobhain's hair was just too thick. 'It didn't work - the hair grows up my cheeks as well,' she said. 'It was like trying to fell a tree in a forest.'
Siobhain says she cannot afford costly laser hair removal and, despite suffering from depression as a result of her condition, her GP cannot offer such a treatment on the NHS.
She initially had no idea what was causing the hair growth until she was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome - a condition that can cause hirsutism, as well as irregular periods, weight gain and difficulties conceiving - in 2000 when she sought medical help after struggling to get pregnant.
The hair growth associated with PCOS is caused by an excess of testosterone - and the condition can be treated with hormone therapy. But women who want to get pregnant cannot be treated with testosterone, making it very difficult for them to keep it under control.
Women like Siobhain who wish to remain fertile must simply put up with the hair growth, or try to remove it the best they can.
THIS MORNING'S DOCTOR ON PCOS
A third of all women have extra cysts on the ovaries, but don’t necessarily have the syndrome. It's caused by a change in hormone levels – and it's an increase in testosterone that triggers hair growth and the other symptoms: irregular periods, weight gain, acne and so on. It also causes problems becoming pregnant.
PCOS can be treated with hormones. But some act as a contraceptive agent – so you won’t be able to become pregnant if you are using it.
There's a strong case for being able to offer hair removal treatment on the NHS – where it’s causing emotional harm and psychological damage on health and wellbeing.
Now, by joining in with Movember, Siobhain has decided to face the issue head on.
source : daily mail
