Does Evening Primrose Oil Help with Hirsutism Symptoms?
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) can cause Hirsutism, but there are other reasons why you might develop the condition. Hirsutism, the presence of excess body hair, affects between 5 – 10% of women, and can be very distressing. Many women are looking for ways to get rid of their body hair, and are also looking into natural supplements.
Some people also mention evening primrose oil as an option to help with the symptoms for Hirsutism. But does it really work? Let’s find out.
What Is Evening Primrose Oil?
Evening Primrose is a plant found in North America, used in traditional medicines for a long time for ailments such as hemorrhoids, digestive issues, menopause symptoms, and sore throat.
The oil comes from the seeds and is available in various forms. There is essential oil for topical use, and there are also evening primrose supplements. But do they help with the symptoms of Hirsutism?
What is Hirsutism?
One of the most common symptoms of hirsutism is excess hair growth. This hair growth follows a male pattern, so it’s common to have excess facial hair, hair on the upper lip, lower abdomen, back and shoulders. This hair is usually coarser, and darker than the usual fine hair on a woman’s face. There are also other symptoms of hirsutism, such as oily skin, a deepening of the voice, and acne.
In many cases, the symptoms of Hirsutism are there because of an underlying condition. Most commonly, this is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). However, there are also other conditions, such as Cushing’s disease, some types of tumors, or medications. And in some cases it’s not possible to identify an underlying cause. This is then called “idiopathic hirsutism”.
It’s important to identify the underlying cause, as the treatment can then be tailored to the actual cause of the excess hair growth. If the cause of the excess hair growth is excess androgen, it can be treated with options such as the contraceptive pill and anti-androgenic medication such as spironolactone.
Because the medications might take some time until they start reducing the hair growth, many women also opt to remove the hair physically. Popular hair removal methods include using waxing, shaving, and depilatory creams. These methods remove the hair immediately and are cost effective. However, they are not very long lasting and have to be repeated frequently.
Other methods of hair removal that last much longer are laser hair removal, IPL and electrolysis. They are more expensive, as they have to be done by a certified professional over a longer time, but the effects can be either semi-permanent or permanent hair removal.
Even with these treatment options, many women are also looking for natural options to treat Hirsutism. Can evening primrose essential oil be helpful to treat Hirsutism?
Is Evening Primrose Oil Useful for Hirsutism?
Even though many believe that evening primrose essential oil has many health benefits, there is little to no scientific evidence that it has any effect on Hirsutism. More medical research is needed before we can clearly say that it has a positive effect on excess hair growth.
If you’re still interested in evening primrose oil for Hirsutism, make sure to discuss it with your doctor first. And absolutely do not use evening primrose oil if you have bleeding disorder, seizure disorder, schizophrenia or before or after surgery.
Conclusion
Hirsutism, or the growth of excess hair, can be very distressing to experience. In all cases it’s a good idea to discuss the issue with your doctor, as there often is an underlying cause to hirsutism. Once your doctor has identified the cause, they can give you treatment options. Unfortunately, there currently is too little scientific evidence that supports using Evening Primrose Oil for Hirsutism, and more medical research needs to be done.
It can be quite a journey to find the right treatment for your Hirsutism, and we hope that this post has been helpful. If you want to learn more about natural supplement for Hirsutism, you can find an overview here! If you want to learn more about essential oils and how they can help you with unwanted hair or how to take care of your skin after hair removal, read on HERE.
