Hirsutism Survey 2019
In January and February 2019 269 women with hirsutism participated in a survey and shared insights into their lives with hirsutism and the associated symptoms.
Topics in this survey touched in this study include diagnosis, treatment, PCOS, supplements, hair removal, acne and overall thoughts and advice on life with hirsutism.
This survey was created as part of a grassroots initiative by women with hirsutism for women with hirsutism and its purpose is to share knowledge with the community in a structured way.
Participants
- 269 women participated in the study
- 91% say they have Hirsutism. 9% aren’t sure, but have symptoms
- 83% say they also have PCOS
- 86% are between 21 and 40 years old
- 69% of respondents are from the US
Almost all women, who participated in the survey experience excess body hair. Many also struggle with hair loss, weight gain or acne. About 80% of women have discussed their hirsutism symptoms with a doctor. It took them 15 months on average to consult a medical professional. About 25% of respondents waited longer than 10 years to speak to a medical professional. 64% of the respondents have been officially diagnosed with hirsutism.
Supplements
Participants were asked to share their experience with spearmint, progesterone, black cohosh, zinc, peony and licorice, chaste tree, reishi mushroom, DIM and saw palmetto. While progesterone is the most popular supplement among those with PCOS and Hirsutism, those without PCOS are most likely to have tried spearmint.
In terms of effectiveness of the various supplements, the results are inconclusive, as many note, that they are not sure, whether a certain treatment was helpful or not. Reasons for this could be, that the supplements weren’t taken long enough or that participants tried multiple supplement at the same time. More details on the popularity of the various supplements, their effectiveness and how long it took to see results are available. You can request access at the bottom of the page.
Hair Removal
96% of women, who participated in the survey report, that they remove body hair on a regular basis. Most of them regularly remove facial hair. More than 75% of them also remove hair from their chest and nipples, stomach, legs and thighs. Shaving and plucking are the most popular hair removal methods, but preference varies greatly depending of the area of the body.
Ingrowns are a problem for around 90% of women. About half of them take specific measures to avoid and prevent them. Participants also shared their treatment recommendations and product preferences.
Acne
More than half of respondents report to have acne. 86% of them get treatment for it. Participants also shared their treatment recommendations and product preferences.
Living with Hirsutism
97% of women report, that their hirsutism symptoms bother them. 80% of them say, that their personal life has been affected by the condition. Anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, bullying and problems with dating and intimacy are among the issues mentioned by many women, who participated in the study.
Women are most likely to speak to their family, their partner or doctor about hirsutism. Around 25% of women in the study keep the condition to themselves.
Women who live with hirsutism develop a lot of different strategies to manage the condition and symptoms over time. When asked for recommendations, respondents shared a lot of information on their favorite products, services and tips.
In the survey women were also asked to share any further questions they may have about hirsutism and what advice they would like to give other women. The most popular?
You are beautiful and you are not alone.
We’ll just leave this here. <3
A BIG THANK YOU goes to all women, who took the time to respond to this survey!
To get access to the full study, learn more and get access to a list of the communities’ recommendations, please request access below. You will receive:
- Detailed Data on Supplement Usage and Effectiveness
- Detailed Data on Preferred Hair Removal Techniques per Body Part
- List of Product Recommendations, Tips and Questions regarding Hair Removal, Acne and Life with Hirsutism in General
If you have any questions about the survey or results or have feedback, please feel free to reach out at hirsutismsurvey (at) gmail (dot) com or here.