I Spent Thousands Trying To Get Rid Of PCOS Facial Hair... Until I Learned This Simple, Effective Solution
After spending years and thousands of rands on waxing, creams and laser consultations, one unexpected conversation with a dermatologist revealed why none of them ever gave me the freedom I wanted and led me to a completely effective solution.
Growing up, I never imagined I'd be shaving my chin.
That was something men did, not women.
Then, in my late 20s, I was diagnosed with PCOS.
At first, I thought the irregular periods would be the hardest part.
I was wrong.
For me, it was the chin hair.
It didn't happen overnight.
It started with one or two dark hairs I'd tweeze every now and then.
Then a few more.
Before long, checking my chin became part of my morning routine.
I'd brush my teeth.
Wash my face.
Then reach for the razor.
Some mornings I'd tell myself...
"It's not that noticeable."
Five minutes later I'd be standing under better lighting checking again.
The hardest part wasn't actually shaving.
It was what it slowly did to my confidence.
I became convinced everyone was looking at my chin, even if they probably weren't.
If someone looked at my face for a second too long, my mind immediately jumped to, "They've noticed it."
It didn't matter whether I was at work, out with friends, or standing in line at Checkers. I couldn't stop thinking about it.
Dating became the worst part because I was terrified of being judged before anyone had the chance to know me.
I'd spend half the evening wondering whether he was looking into my eyes...
...or at my chin.
So instead of enjoying the conversation, part of my brain was constantly wondering if the restaurant lighting was too bright or whether he could see the shadow starting to come back.
Maybe the chin hair would be a deal breaker.
I kept telling myself there had to be a better answer.
So I tried everything I could think of.
Tweezing. Waxing.
Until a new friend of mine, who happens to be a dermatologist, told me about something I'd never heard of before.
An oil made from Cyperus rotundus
I was skeptical. I'd heard promises like this before.
But she said it was clinically approved and there are numerous published researches about it.
SoI decided to try it anyway.
I started applying it every night after washing my face. It took about a minute. I kept shaving in the mornings, just like I always had.
The first week, I didn't notice anything different. I kept telling myself to be patient.
By the second week, something started to change. The hair coming in felt thinner and softer.
I ran my fingers over my chin the way I always did, checking, and for the first time, what I felt wasn't as sharp and coarse as it used to be.
By the third week, I only shaved once. The hair was taking longer to come back than before.
Some mornings I'd check and there was barely anything there at all.
The following month, I stopped reaching for the razor out of habit. I'd go 2, sometimes 3 weeks without needing it.
When I did check, the hair was barely visible, I could only feel very thin strands of it.
I remember standing in front of the mirror one morning under the brightest light in my house and feeling calm about it.
That was the moment it hit me.
For the first time since my diagnosis, my mornings didn't start with a razor.
They started with just me, my toothbrush, and my face wash, nothing else
Final Thoughts
I have to be honest about something else.
Cyperus rotundus doesn't grow everywhere, and getting enough of the actual plant to make a proper oil takes time.
My dermatologist friend told me that's exactly why so few products even use it. It's simply not an easy ingredient to source in the quantity you actually need for it to work.
I got mine from Celes.
So if it's in stock, take advantage of it while you can.
I also want to mention something I learned after doing more digging.
A few other brands have started putting "Cyperus rotundus" on their label too. I bought one out of curiosity, just to compare. The bottle was a few hundred rand, and after using it for a few weeks, I understood why.
It barely had any of the actual extract in it. Mostly filler oils, with just enough Cyperus rotundus to legally list it as an ingredient.
I could tell the difference immediately, and honestly, so could my chin.
I went back to Celes, the one my friend originally recommended. The one I actually saw results with, morning after morning, week after week
“I honestly bought this expecting it to be another product that would end up sitting in my bathroom drawer. I'd already spent so much money on waxing, laser consultations and creams that promised the world. What surprised me was that I stopped using my epilator for 3 weeks.That alone makes it worth it.”
“Living with PCOS made me feel like I was going to shave my chin forever. I wasn't looking for perfection anymore but just wanted to stop thinking about it every single day. The biggest difference for me was how barely noticeable the regrowth was at 3 weeks.”
“My chin hair wasn't the soft, fluffy kind. It was thick, dark and impossible to ignore. I'd feel it before I even saw it. But I am happy this worked for me. The hairs have almost disappeared and I rarely shave now”
“I'll admit I was very doubtful when I came across this. But I couldn't resist not trying it. I kept using it because the routine was so easy, and after a few weeks I realised it exceeded my expectations.”
“I almost didn't order because my skin reacts to everything. Shaving always left me with razor bumps, so I was worried this would make things worse. It actually felt really gentle on my skin, and I didn't have the irritation I was expecting.”