Polycystic Ovarian Disease/Syndrome, or PCOS, is a common yet complicated metabolic condition with a wide variety of symptoms that range from weight gain and infertility to depression. PCOS is also frighteningly common amongst Australian women, with up to a fifth of all women suffering from it.
Despite this, the range of PCOS symptoms and criteria for diagnosis mean that the vast majority of women go undiagnosed. It is also frequently misdiagnosed, and can mimic the symptoms of other diseases. Because of these factors, the medical community still has a long way to go towards understanding the full effect that PCOS has on the body and its connections. One of these connections is melasma.
Who can get PCOS and melasma?
Most women with polycystic ovaries will already be familiar with the hormonal imbalance symptoms it causes, such as weight gain, adult acne, and facial hair. They can now add melasma to this list. PCOS is more common in indigenous and South Asian women, and melasma is more prevalent in those with olive to dark skin who would fall into the aforementioned groups. PCOS and Melasma are connected and one often follows the other as both are caused by hormonal imbalances, which are affected by insulin resistance, an increase in androgens in the body as well as fluctuating female hormones and estrogen levels.
What to do if you have been diagnosed with one, or both, conditions
If you have been diagnosed with PCOS and start to develop melasma, it is important to take a note of it, as it could be something that you can treat through PCOS diet or medication. It is very important to always treat the underlying causes of PCOS related melasma, acne, and facial hair. At the Victoria Dermal Group, we recommend that your doctor always be your first port of call. Once you have discussed your melasma and PCOS treatment with your doctor, they will be able to take the necessary steps to treat it internally.
It is important to only trust an established clinic to help you, one that understands how to balance your acne, hirsutism and melasma treatment in a manner that suits your budget and time. There is no melasma cure or quick fix melasma cream, but by taking the steps today you can rely on our prescribed ointments, lasers, and peels to get your skin looking better than ever.
