The struggle with Hirsutism and its Ayurvedic Management -

The struggle with Hirsutism and its Ayurvedic Management. So, what you need to overcome these unwanted hairs is to look after your hormones. Balance your doshas and Agni. The healthy diet will help you much extend.

So common among women, yet the cause is unknown to us. And we are still creating theories, doing experiments in laboratories and fighting with this unknown bull. It just to women with no cause what so ever, and then your life change for forever. Form one doctor to another, from one medicine to another, the struggle continues. You got me right; I am talking about the Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) – the puzzle of the century. For some women it is like a lifelong curse where they experience all the worst symptoms. Managing problems such as Irregular periods, or diabetes, or obesity, hair fall, acne and hirsutism (unwanted body hairs) is itself difficult and takes a whole life to manage them. Think about a person who has got it all at once. Many PCOS women say to me, ‘I do not know how many births I need to take to overcome such difficult issues’. Well, in this article I am going to talk about hirsutism in PCOS and how Ayurvedic medicines can help you.

Neither all women with unwanted hairs have PCOS, nor do all the PCOS women suffer with these unwanted hairs on their body. Studies says, almost 80% of women with high levels of androgens (male hormones) have PCOS. By the name PCOS women generally believe there is serious problem only in their ovaries. They don’t see the doctor unless the symptoms of PCOS start troubling them especially if it is something to do with their external beauty. Irregular cycles do not bother them as much as this particular symptom take over their self-esteem, make them depressed and anxious. And that troublesome symptom is ‘Hirsutism- unwanted excess growth of hairs over face, chest and tummy’. Hirsutism is medically defined as the presence of terminal coarse hairs in females in a male-like distribution due to excess androgen activity.

Let me tell you a story of one of my patients named Neela (imaginary name). Neela was in in her early 20’s when she visited me couple of months back. She was covering her head with a pink color silk scarf. I asked her, what brought you here to see me? Neela removed her scarf and showed me her chin and jaw line. ‘Look at this doctor, I have done it all to stop it but nothing is helping me to overcome these excess facial hairs. I feel terrible and ashamed’. I enquired in bit detail about Neela’s issue. She was not obese but definitely she had lot of fat around her tummy. I asked if she has been diagnosed with any medical issues, such as diabetes or PCOS?

She promptly said, ‘yes, I was diagnosed with PCOD (age of 15) right after one year I had my first cycle. My cycle was irregular with very less flow. I was told that it takes time for a cycle to settle due to hormonal changes in my body. I did not care about that as my cycle became regular slowly however, flow was anyway less only. But one day, I was shocked to see 2-3 long thick hairs on my chin. Also, I started visiting parlor for threading and waxing frequently than ever. I was sure something was not right. I went to a nearby doctor with the complaint of thick and dark hairs on my upper lips, side of the cheeks and over chin area, she said anxiously’. These were only visible hairs. She also had such masculine hairs over her other body parts, which were easy to hide.

I was given some pills to regularize my hormones and asked to do some diet and exercises, although I was not fat at all. I took those hormonal pills (OCP) for one year. I was hoping to recover as I could see some flow during cycles and that heavy hair growth were thinning down. It was time to celebrate. I thought I am out of this curse and I will get my beautiful face back. But, good things never last long. As soon as I discontinued the pills, my skin broke down. I got much thicker and heavier hairs over my chin and this time they spreaded although my jaw line. My mother took me to another doctor who diagnosed me with PCOS. I did not know what it initially. My mother thought I have got some serious problem. I was confused. Google came to help me understand it better. I remember, I had spent almost 1 week or two just reading about PCOS on internet. I was continuously asking myself, how on earth how got this problem. No one in my family had this. I accepted it as my bad karma and took medications given by the new doctor for 6 months. I was even bullied in my college for having such unnatural hair growth. I stopped all the medication and finally learned that there is no end to this. I concentrated on my carrier and forgot about PCOS. I even took some anti-androgen for 6 months with no better results. I will never forget those days. Leela stooped taking after saying this. She appeared frustrated and sad.

Looked like, Leela had finally accepted her defeat with PCOS. She just wanted some cosmetic relief with her facial hairs. I talked her about Ayurvedic concepts of looking at her health issues. I informed that Ayurveda does not look at an issue as a separate entity rather it takes a holistic approach considering you have got this issue and not just your body parts. You need healing and not just your face or ovaries. I asked, do you trust that Ayurvedic medicines would be helpful to you? She nodded quite positively. She said, I don’t have any other option. At least I will not have any side effects with these’. I asked her to come back tomorrow on empty stomach to check her nadi and then I can provide her remedies for her health issues. She was wondering why I need to check her nadi when she just wants to get rid of facial hairs and not PCOS. She asked doctor please give me some ointments or powders so I don t see theses hairs ever again. The quick solution is what everyone wants. Who wants to suffer from an illness for so long? Fair enough but there is a way to heal and not just to fix, I firmly advised her.

She agreed and came to me next day morning 9 am. I thought she would not come back considering I may take long time to heal her. Leela said, the only thing that bothers me more than anything is these facial hairs. I go to beauty parlor twice-thrice in a month to get a wax done. It is very shame full some times when my friends points towards to my chin and get curious to know if there is any wrong with me. I have also taken laser treatment but that did not help me to get my feminine face back, moreover I cannot afford laser, electrolysis and expensive hormones. Because of this facial hairs my relations friends and family is challenged due to myself low self-esteem. More over who will marry a girl with a beard and mustache. Please help me with Ayurveda. I have read all your articles and have full trust in you, she said with confident.

I do not know what was changed in Leela in one day. I checked her Nadi and examined her as per Ayurvedic parameters. History taking is always important which describe both how the patients is and how the disease is. For Leela, it was severe Kapha and Vata imbalance. Her Pitta was too low, Agni was weak and lot of Ama (toxins) was collected in her gut. Leela was opened for the treatment. I explained her that she needs Panchakaram. This will help her to clean her body with abnormal toxins (AMA), support her Agni though Deepana and Pachana and then will start internal medication. After 45 days of cleansing (Panchakarma) , I gave her medicines which contained herbs such as harida, tulasi, ashwagandha, shatavari, yastimadhu, sharapunkha, Jatamansi, tankana, Cinamon, fenugreek and tulasi , Yasti , Shatavari , Gokshura, Varuna and guggulu. I also prepared a powder and oil for her to apply externally on her hair follicles of chin and jaw line after she waxes them which helped to reduce the thickness and growth of hairs. She took the treatment for 1 year with satisfied results, slowly I discontinued few herbs and she was able to manage her symptoms effectively than before with more positive outlook towards PCOS.

This is not the only story I have. Many young girls are now suffering with this issue. At times, I have seen them complaining about such abnormal facial hairs since they get mature. Well, that is serious agony. Also think about a young hard working professional who just got a high profile job in a reputed company is struggling to keep her face ‘hair free’. And it seems her life will almost end if she does not wax or thread those long hairs over her chin. No one to blame!

You may already know is that this is all because of high levels of Androgens (Male hormone) in your body or so called ‘too much active’ testosterone. Androgens are known to be responsible for promoting hair cycles among men and women. Males generally have high levels of androgen and thus have larger hair follicles- mustache and beards etc. Every woman needs male hormone in their body to trigger their female hormone – estrogen to work efficiently. But if this male hormone is excess then that is where women start feeling symptoms of being ‘masculine’ – belly fat, hard skin, hair fall, growth of men like hairs over body and evens some develop deep voice like men.

For most women with PCOS this male hormone levels are higher than normal. Doctor may recommend a simple blood test and may find that your free testosterone levels are high in your blood. However, hirsutism can be present with normal ovulatory function and normal androgens level. High levels of free testosterone in your body prevent ovulation and that’s why you may not be getting pregnant if you are trying. If you are diabetic then you have got to work on that too as insulin too worsen the male hormone levels.

How to reduce androgens in female naturally in ayurveda – Ayurvedic Management

Ayurveda talks about Atiloma and Pushpaghni Jatharani which have symptoms like Leela explained. Acharya Kashyapa has given very precise description of Pushpaghni Jatiharini, which is almost having the symptoms of PCOS as told by modern science. Well, I am not comparing the two distinct sciences but trying to find a bridge where you can come to an agreement with me. The reference goes like this-

“Vritha pushpam tu yo nri yathakal prapashyati. Sthulalomashganda vpushpaghni sa api revati” (Ka S.K.6/32-33)

It is curable. Woman menstruate in time but it is useless (vyathpushpa i.e anovulatory cycle). She has corpulent and hairy cheeks –hirsutism; may be due to hyperandrogenism.

So what you need to overcome these unwanted hairs is to look after your hormones. Balance your doshas and Agni. The healthy diet will help you much extend. Use the anti-androgen that causes unwanted body hairs in PCOS. If you are obese then lose some weight. Check your blood sugar levels, if you are insulin resistance. Eat healthy food and excise’s to improve your insulin and glucose control. This will help your ovaries to reduce the male hormones’ secretion.

Let me talk more about Almonds here, research says that they tend to reduce the potency of male hormones-testosterone. Again, many women with PCOS have high levels of male hormones in their body. So, eat 5-6 almonds soaked the previous night and munch on them. For external application- apply haridra churna and chickpeas flour together on the hair follicles.

What your food should have- The best thing to start your day is to have Vata-Kapha balancing Ayurvedic herbal kashaya (tea).

Your breakfast should have Kapha balancing foods, such as Barley or Horse gram soup, Whole wheat Roti, Ragi, and 1 handful of nuts/seeds. Avoid- fermented food items such as dosa, idli, vada and white rice early mornings.
Kapha balancing snack- buttermilk is best with ginger, also can have 1 apple or papaya.
Lunch- should have small portion of brow\n rice, lots of veggies or meat or sea food and salads.
Vata balancing snack– in the evening it is best to the herbal tea again or handful of nuts/seeds or just 1 glass of milk.
Dinner- should have lot of different vegetables and roti if required. Also can have cooked brown rice, quinoa, porridge, low sugar baked beans, red kidney beans, lentils or chick peas. Avoid having rice and heavy meals in the night.