Anshula Kapoor recalls being diagnosed with PCOS at 14: ‘Had to wax my moustache every few weeks’
PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) is a common endocrine disorder that entails irregular, scanty, or non-existent periods. However, it must be known that the hormonal problem goes much beyond just irregular menstruation; it can cause excessive hair growth, acne, and even weight gain. “In PCOS, small millimeter-sized cysts form on the ovaries which lead to an increase in the size of the ovaries (normal ovarian size is the size of an almond). The size may be increased to almost double their size. Due to this increase in size, the ovaries start releasing abnormal hormones. Instead of normal female hormones, the ovaries start producing male hormones, especially testosterone which is responsible for the effects seen in PCOS,” Dr Ritu Sethi, senior consultant-gynaecology, Cloud Nine Hospital, Sector 14 Gurgaon and Apex Clinic, Sector 31, Gurgaon, told indianexpress.com in an earlier interview.
“I was diagnosed with polycystic ovaries (PCOS) at the age of 14. Now, as an adult, I know how common it is. But at the time, it was never spoken about. I felt like I was the only one dealing with myriads of PCOS symptoms — facial hair, insulin resistance, weight gain, heavy, painful periods, and so much more.”
“I would get my period once every three or four months, and when they came I called them my ‘period from hell’ because they were excruciatingly painful,” she added.
Anshula, who is actor Arjun Kapoor’s sister, further shared that “I was told that I have a disorder because of which my periods will be highly irregular, extremely painful whenever they came and they would last for weeks on end.”
Recalling her struggles she said, “I remember missing a lot of school,” but was quick to added “but for a 14-year old I think that is the only silver lining to have come out of all of this.”
Anshula shared that she always had dense hair and heavy growth owing to her “strong Punjabi genes”, however, with PCOS the amount of facial hair growth was more intense. “I remember in the 10th standard having to wax my moustache and bleaching my sidelocks every few weeks,” she added.
She recalled that she was told to lose weight to lessen her symptoms and to manage her PCOS. “But as you know, having PCOS makes it that much harder to actually lose all the weight. It took me a long time to grasp all these symptoms, and how to manage my life with PCOS,” she wrote.
She concluded her note by encouraging women with PCOS to comment on her post and help each other. “Let’s help each other out by sharing real-world solutions that have worked for you,” she said.
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