This September marks Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) Awareness Month, which aims to increase awareness and education around PCOS, as well as push for improved diagnosis, better treatment options, and for countries to make PCOS a public health priority. PCOS impacts 15% of people with ovaries in the United States alone, so we’re here to talk about how to go about caring for some of its symptoms.
PCOS is an endocrine disorder in which the ovaries produce excess testosterone. Over 50% of people with PCOS go undiagnosed due to lack of awareness in both the general public and, more distressingly, healthcare professionals. It affects the body in a variety of ways, but the visual symptoms are often dark, coarse body and facial hair, as well as hormonal acne. Because of this, people with PCOS understandably can feel like most skincare and haircare options are ineffective at catering to their needs and ignorant of their concerns—especially while living under societal norms that continue to put undue pressure on us to remove our body hair or look a certain way, regardless of personal preferences.
It feels natural that we should help bring awareness to PCOS, since from the beginning, it’s been our mission to normalize body hair, no matter how little or how much you choose to have, and ensure that your body care routine prioritizes your comfort at every step of the way. More comfort, more care, less stigma.
All of our formulas work on every type of hair and skin, and can be used anywhere from head to toe, but here are some of our favorites for tackling common PCOS skin and hair concerns:
Our signature hair and skin moisturizing oil is great whether you remove your hair or choose to let it grow. It works as a preventative measure against ingrowns, hydrates skin, and softens coarse, itchy hair whether it’s fully grown out or as it’s growing back in.
This physical and chemical exfoliator smooths bumps and ingrowns and is gentle enough to use on facial skin where hormonal acne appears. It also contains brightening ingredients to help treat discoloration that can occur from acne and ingrown scarring—to let the acids truly penetrate your pores, leave it on for up to five minutes as a mask.
A powerful ingrown treatment that doesn’t just target chronic ingrowns, this serum brightens discoloration and hyperpigmentation caused by hair removal and hormonal acne when used daily.
PCOS Awareness Month hits especially close to home for us at Fur since many members of our team have PCOS. We talked to Grace, our Brand Manager, about her journey and the Fur products she reaches for:
“Everyone’s PCOS symptoms are different, but mine manifest in my hair & skin. Ingrowns, hyperpigmentation, and dark, coarse body hair are all a part of my PCOS experience. Fur has made such a huge difference in clearing my hair & skin symptoms from PCOS. I shave some of my body hair, and grow other areas out, but from hair to skin to face, Silk Scrub and Stubble Cream are my holy grail products. They exfoliate gently on the face and body, and lock in non-comedogenic moisture. I am also obsessed with our Ingrown Eliminator Serum! It is so amazing for lightening dark spots from acne and ingrowns and I love that it’s safe for my bikini line and face.”
Beyond awareness, we invite our community to donate to PCOS Awareness Association, in support of PCOS research if they are able.
Empowering people with PCOS with the tools they need and connecting people who are just starting their PCOS journey to the right resources goes beyond just one month. At Fur, we will continue to advocate for everybody’s right to feel safe and happy in the skin (and hair!) they’re in.