Stray Hairs On Chest And Chin Should I Be Concerned? Would You Be If It Were You?

[gummibears]

For quite some time I have rather regular stray single chin hair issues. I get one every now and again, pluck only to see the bugger came back. Sometimes (not terribly often) the rogue chin hair invites some friends on my chest (a couple or so) I never paid much mind to it, sure it's annoying and can be embarrassing, but is it a problem?

Well, some months ago a friend was diagnosed with PCOS and since then I looked what it was. Imagine the concern when I saw my symptom up there.

Today I looked into some other things and saw it was excess hormones of the male variety that causes this and it can cause troubles with pregnancy. I figure, okay, so I can just up my estrogen with estrogen foods. I see that's a negative.

I have regular periods. My average cycle length is 27 days. My shortest being 24 days and my longest being 29 days since I started tracking them in April. Periods are generally not heavy, but once and a while are heavier or lighter (usually a lighter one is followed by a heavier one the next cycle.) Since ttc I've been having vaginal cramps a bit stronger than normal (normal being mild pain first day only as a rule. I was told this could be due to dehydration by a nurse in the family) with cycle, and even sometimes near ovulation. I don't bleed between cycles or spot or anything odd like that.

My breasts are not smaller in size - quite the contrary. They went up in size over the last few years. I don't have dark skin patches anywhere, but I do have one sebeacous cyst on my neck... not sure if that's linked or not.

I'm not obese, but I am slightly over my weight. I hover at around a bmi of 26 or 26.6. Doctor said this isn't the time to lose weight... odd, I know. I've been more active, though, and I fluctuate around 5 pounds regularly and I am trying to eat better and get weight down a bit just the same. I was overweight by a bit more over the winter after having lost 17 pounds last summer. (I'm not sure if any of that has bearing as my cycles and ewcm and all that were present when I was 5-10 pounds heavier.)

Having said all this, if it were you, would you get checked out? I had a pelvic in May, would that have caught any abnormalities if I didn't specifically go in with these questions or no?

I just would hate to have issues that can be addressed now and wait and waste valuable time to correct any problems and waste valuable ttc time.

[TTC]

I think for the sake of peace of mind it would be best to ask your doctor if the pelvic exam would've caught any problems such as PCOS and if not if there are other tests that you could take just to make sure. I told my doctor last month that I get stray hairs on my chin and upper lip now and then and had them removed with lazer and he didn't think that was a problem. I always get a stray here now and then on my chest too but it's better to be safe if you have any concerns. I told him and he didn't seem to think it was an issue, comparing to others who have quite a bit of hair then that would be a major hormonal or other issue to worry about, such as if they need to constantly shave a large amount off on a regular basis.

[~Adorkable~]

i would get your hormones and insulin checked, these things do not show up wiuth a normal pelvic check up.

make sure they check hormones at the correct time of your cycle
here is a good page that lets you know the what and when of that http://www.fertilityplus.org/faq/hormonelevels.html also make sure you actually get the number, not just them saying its ok or not.

if you get your insulin resistance checked and i suggest you do, make sure they actually check your insulin both fasting and after the OGTT, not just testing your glucose as so many do, if you are IR your glucose can be totally normal, but your insulin with be high at the same time. this is missed by many folks and its important.


there are many types of pcos and some have very regular cycles. here is a good description for the syndrome and its types http://www.wdxcyber.com/dxinf001.htm

hope this gets you headed in the right direction

[Jane]

I would get checked out, for piece of mind.
But...lots and lots of women have 3-5 gnarley chin hairs and a few long nipple or chest hairs. Pregnancy tends to being them out, too. It's likely nothing. It might make you feel better to talk to your hair stylist - they really know this stuff- how many have a unibrow, who's grey, and who has a goatee. It's pretty common.
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[SubliminalDarkness]

I have PCOS. But I have many of the symptoms. I wouldn't worry too much about the random stray hairs. IME, the problem is when you have quite a bit of facial hair. My mom has this.... She actually trims/shaves at least weekly because it gets so out of control.

[ZoeJane'sMommy]

I would ask your doc. But its not like an emergency to have to run to them. It may be pcos, but even women with perfect hormone levels still get a stray now and then. I have pcos and I have had hair on chest/breast area since I was about 16. Yes it is just a few so I can pluck them, but like my face is hairier than normal, thank goodness they are very light peach fuzz. I get some of my face waxed. My hair stylest(my cousin) says she sees way worse on people every day. So I aslo think that everybody just sometimes gets a hair.

Good luck and I hope your worries don't bog you down because stress can slow down the TTC process to.

[Kinza]

I have maybe 5 horrid, whiskery hairs on my chin, and 3 in the happy trail region. ICK. So, I had them when I was a teenager, then when I went on the pill and plucked them they never came back. Now that I'm off the pill, the hairs are back and I have to pluck them 2 or 3 times a week.

I mentioned this to my doctor recently and she said I should have my hormone levels checked. I guess since when I was being pumped full of female hormones I didn't have the problem she thinks my male hormones might be off. Just something to think about--have you ever used hormonal birth control, and if you did, did it change the stray hair situation? I'm waiting on my test results so don't have any after the fact info to offer.

[MaerynPearl]

I have a good dozen or more. Have had my DH tell me to shave actually.

In my case, its just a sign of genetics nothing else. But its always worth double checking.

[NicaG]

Have you had trouble ttc? In many cases the stray hairs are just due to genetics/ethnic heritage. I have some of that and have not had any trouble conceiving.

[mammal_mama]

I think I may have undiagnosed PCOS, but I never needed any assistance to get pregnant. I married at 35 and became pregnant right away with dd1. Breastfeeding does seem to have a powerful affect on my fertility; my cycles didn't return until dd1 was 21 months old and I've never been totally regular.

I got pregnant with dd2 when dd1 was 4 and was sometimes going for really long stretches without wanting to nurse. I don't know if PCOS causes breastfeeding to have a more powerful effect on fertility or not.

I have heard that doctors tend to dismiss the possibility of PCOS in women who've been able to get pregnant without assistance -- but that the truth is lots of women with PCOS get pregnant quite easily.

[~Adorkable~]

i think the real concern with pcos and the best reason to find out is that it can have lifelong effects on your health.
ladies with pcos have a higher rate of high blood pressure, heart disease and insulin resistance and type II diabetes. all of this things can be handled but you have to know you are headed for them.
in my case i was having issues getting preggo, and the huge silver lining to that was finding out so much about my health, things that would affect me long after my breading years are over, and i then need to have a long life with them.

so i know now and i have treated everything with lifestyle change and am healthier than ever now, and happily pregnant!

[gummibears]

I spoke to DH about all this and your replies, and we decided on what we view as a happy medium. We will wait until October, maybe November to go back in. This will give us a chance to recover more from the stress of April, May and partially June. This month already brought some positive changes (I swear I had my first patch of ewcm last night... this morning temps up, so it seems it probably was it despite BD earlier yesterday morning I think it was mine rather than his. Was all over the place not normal anytime of the month)

Adorkable, Anyway, we decided that because he thinks all is okay and I'm concerned, yet we want to avoid further medical bills if not needed. So, here's hoping that things work their way out. If not, then I'll go in this fall. I'll be sure to have them check everything and double check that it's all the right CD and all. Thank you for the links, Adorkable they were very helpful in calming and informing of everything. And a big CONGRATS to you. Hopefully we'll have a sticky bean there soon as well.

Yes, I've also heard that there are other health concerns connected to PCOS not just issues TTC. That's one reason I'm not totally dismissing anything. My blood pressure has always been normal, so they tell me. Those numbers never made sense to me, but I always ask if that's good or not and they say it is.

Apricot, I heard about pregnancy changing the hormones to bring them out, but didn't find out if you can have them, not be treated and still get pregnant. We'll see, I guess. I'd never guess a hair stylist would know anything. Goes to show what I know, LOL I've only been to one once in the last 10+ years. (My hair is usually grown out past my waist)

SubliminalDarkness, I saw a chart for an analysis of stages of the hair issue, and the first one was more than I have on either area. Not sure what that exactly means for me, though.

ZoeJane'sMommy, We will ask them if not pregnant by October or so. DH thinks that August or September is our month. (That's 5-6 months of trying including the early months that were likely out from stress) It's possible that everyone has some amount of it, but of course you go online and only see the extreme results that make you worry something's off in babyland. I'm trying to stay calm. My problem is being anxious to be pregnant more than worries... still not cool but yeah, after waiting 5 years for DH to give us the go-ahead for another that's what I get. LOL

Kinza, you make me wonder now. I know I was on the pill after my son was born, but not before that. Before that I was with my dh and we decided to let whatever happens happens. I was pregnant within 8 weeks. I went off the pill nearly 3 years ago. Will be 3 years this Dec. I can't recall if this issue started after my son was born and on the pills or in the time after. I'm tempted to say it was in the 3 years after I've been off them, but I never had them before I was on the pill, either. Do let me know if you find out there's a definite connection there. It's worth thinking about.

MaerynPearl, thank you. Yes, that's my outlook, too, that it's worth checking. DH thinks hold on bills, lol.

mammal_mama, Hmm. I nursed a few months with my son (and will nurse with this one as well) but I was on the pill then, so I'd not know the effects of it and fertility on my body. I did read that some can seem normal (normal cycles, normal difficulties getting pregnant) and still have PCOS.

Almost as if in answer to my concerns, last night it seems I had pretty good quality ewcm. (Pretty sure it wasn't DH's contribution from the morning. In any event we BD again just incase it's missing today as last month I thought I might have had some... if it was that, this month was better quality.. and we missed BDing that day. Well, I woke 2 hours early today and temps are way up. Looks like I O'ed overnight like I thought I might. Good thing we did the extra BD... though I'm not sure how much it'll help. Considering this and possibly last month is the first time since ttc that I saw anything near EW this excites me. (Oh, the small things that excite, huh?) and gives me hope that things might be okay.

[jenniferadurham]

I have laser hair removal done on my breasts and chest, my lady tells me it's genetics 9 times out of 10. My dh is a surgical nurse and has told me that out of every 10 patients he sees, 8-9 of them have some sort of hair where it shouldn't be.

[karmab]

i agree with adorkable, mae, jennifer, and the pps who said a couple stray hairs is not anything to worry about but you are smart to mention your concerns to your doc at your next visit. a pelvic exam would not pick up on an issue like pcos. some bloodwork and maybe an u/s will give you a lot of info. the only thing i would not necessarily agree with is your doc saying this isnt the time to lose weight, not that you are particularly heavy, but this is the time to live as healthy a lifestyle as you can, and you will not hurt your chances of conceiving, and just might help them, by watching what you eat and exercising a little more than you might do now, i mean that in the sense that we all can benefit from that, not just you. a well balanced diet, like an ada diet that a diabetic would be on, for example, is not calorie restrictive but will help you keep from taking in too many simple sugars, and an evening walk or slow jog around the neighborhood is good if you do have a little insulin resistance because of a couple extra pounds too. these things go along with pcos, but they can benefit all of us whether we have it or not. time for a crash diet? absolutely not. time to be aware of carbohydrate metabolism- i think so!

and btw- forgot to say this, but your regular cycles are probably a good sign. good luck to you!!!!

[~Adorkable~]

Just for the record I was not in the camp of saying it was not anything to worry about, I had only small signs like this that uncovered some pretty important health information that wouldcaffect my life in many ways and I'm gladcthat I paid attention and caught it.
I do not think the OP need to freak out, but I do think she should get the apropriate test as soon as it is feesable and stay on top of the whole picture, not just the TTCing.

I do very much agree with karmab in that a diet is probably a bad thing but a food shift or the addition of smart exercise is a great thing and often is just what it takes to get preggo.
Insulin use in your body is most assisted by core strength work, over aerobic or cardio, not that those rant great for other things. Think like pilates are focuesed on the core muscles and are natural boosts for the body to help with carb and insulin processing. Everyone can benefit from that. Aerobics and cardio on the other hand are wonderful for circulation, lung function and endurance, things you will definatley need come pregnancy and childbirth.

[gummibears]

Well, husband now thinks something might be wrong. I've explained about the thyroid issues and have some symptoms. I need to get looked at for bowel issues, so hoping they will discuss this with me same visit as both are concerns.

I'm hoping nothing wrong and more so that they don't say come back after a year. If they do that, then I'm pretty much not going to get a second baby since I'm 33 now by time I wait a year and get help get pregnant - nearly 35. Wait 3 years maybe even 4, get pregnant and close to 40. A bit too late by then. So, every month really counts at this point.

[karmab]

good luck at your doc appt- im sure they will listen to all your symptoms and figure out what, if anything, is going on. and try not to get too far ahead of yourself- you are 32 or 33 and it sounds like you're already thinking you are on the verge of menopause! i'm 42, girl. i've got a sister and an aunt who both had babies at 44! that's more than a decade away for you! you are young!

[gummibears]

No dice at the doctor. I wound up seeing a guy and he was clueless on the reproductive thing. No blood test nothing, and I'm not paying for another doctor visit for it.

What he did say was that the body remembers stress meaning if I was stress X months then it will likely take around that same number to regulate. If that's the case, then it's all explained.

FWIW, I've been having pretty good CM this month. Here's hoping it's a good sign.

And yes, I'm guilty of getting too far ahead of myself. It's that whole planning for the future thing taken about ohhh three steps too freaking far. LOL

Thanks, Karma. Think I just got done with O. Didn't get my temps really charted well this time, but the CM sure seems right and temps are up to the 97 degree mark (usually indicates O time) So, here we are in the TWW packing for our delightful new home and looking for paint for repairs. Goodness what life doesn't throw our way!

(Watch me get pregnant when we move into the house... then all the painting... we have to do will be an issue.UGH!)

[karmab]

well that's frustrating about the visit, but yay for o! and i'm updating my last post to read- i'm 42... and pregnant! so, although there is no guarantee, of course, that this one is sticky, do remember 32 is NOT over the hill! best wishes with the house and everything else too.

[gummibears]

Wow! A HUGE congrats on the bambino Karma! See what happens when I get a new job and am too busy to pop in here? I miss GREAT news. :P

We are working out the kinks on the house very close. Should be moving in sometime in Oct... then renovations.

My guess is baby will come during renovations. Why? 2 reasons. We were told 5 months for baby based on dh's dream. That's October. And 5 seems to be our lucky number with house buying. AND we will be busy setting up house and renovating during that time. Yup sounds about right, LOL.