The short explanation
Two separate things help, and they work on different timescales. Hormonal treatment slows new growth, and it takes six to nine months before the difference is visible because each hair has its own cycle. Physical removal — threading, waxing, shaving, and laser or electrolysis where they are available and affordable — deals with the hair that is already there, immediately and repeatedly. Neither is a cure, and combining them is what most people find works. Shaving does not make hair grow back thicker; that is a persistent myth.
What depends on your situation
The parts of this that change from woman to woman. Uncertainty is stated, not hidden.
- How much hair is 'too much' is yours to decide and nobody else's. Some women want treatment for a moustache line that a clinician would call mild; others are untroubled by a great deal more. A clinician's job is to check there is nothing else behind it and then help with what is bothering you.
- What is available and what it costs varies enormously between a city clinic and a district hospital, and it is a fair thing to ask about before agreeing to anything.
What this answer cannot determine
The boundary of online education. These need a clinician who can see you.
- This cannot tell you which treatment suits you, whether hormonal treatment is safe with your other conditions, or whether your pattern of hair growth needs investigating. Rapid growth over months, a deepening voice or other changes need assessment rather than treatment.
Questions for your clinician
Take these with you. You can add any of them to an appointment card.
- Is there anything other than PCOS that should be ruled out here?
- What are my options, and how long before I would see a difference?
- What does each one cost, including follow-up?
- What are the side effects I should know about before I start?
When to seek help
Clinician-approved guidance for this topic. When in doubt, being seen is never the wrong choice.
- See a clinician soon rather than later if hair growth has changed quickly over a few months, if your voice has deepened, or if your periods have stopped altogether alongside it.
Sources
The evidence this explanation is built on.
No sources recorded yet.
Who wrote and reviewed this
Every AskHer answer names its author. A clinically reviewed answer also names the clinician who signed it off — if no clinician is named below, it has not been clinically reviewed.
- Author
- AskHer Editorial AskHer's editorial team — not an individual clinician Works in English, தமிழ், हिन्दी
- Clinical reviewer
- Nobody yet No clinician has signed this answer off. That is what the “Editorially reviewed” badge means, and why it does not say “Clinically reviewed”. It was written and checked by AskHer’s editorial team, and it is queued for a clinician who works in this area. No sources are recorded against it yet.
- Review status
- Editorially reviewed
- Last reviewed
- Last reviewed 26 September 2026
- Version
- 1
Correction history
Substantive changes are listed, not quietly edited away.
No corrections have been made since this answer was first published.
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