Can PCOS cause rapid weight gain and how can aesthetic treatments help battle this?

Shriyal Sethumadhavan gets some answers from aesthetic experts.

“The backbone of the treatment in PCOS is to maintain weight.”

Dr Rickson Pereira, Consultant Dermatologist and Head, Dr Rickson’s Dermatherapie Clinic

“PCOS is a polygenic and multifactorial syndromic disorder. Due to the genetic predisposition to this, a person tends to gain weight. However, excess weight gain also worsens PCOS. It’s a vicious cycle where weight gain leads to worsening of PCOS and worsening of PCOS can lead to weight gain.

The backbone of the treatment in PCOS is to maintain weight, have a healthy and active lifestyle and good dietary choices where the diet should be low on refined sugar and ultra-refined or ultra-processed food. There are no aesthetic treatments that can cause weight loss. However, post weight loss, if certain stubborn areas or bulges are left in areas of the body, body contouring techniques such as coolsculpting or cryolipolysis to reduce fat or CM slim which uses electromagnetic technology to stimulate muscle contractions and reduce fat or radiofrequency devices can be used.

Other conditions associated with PCOS such as severe acne can be treated with medical management, lasers, and peels. Hypertrichosis or hirsutism can be treated with Long Pulsed YAG Laser Technology or diode lasers. Also, hair thinning can be treated with prescription medicines such as Minoxidil.”

“Weight gain increases the problem of PCOS.”

Dr Anil Ganjoo, Sr Consultant Dermatologist and Laser Surgeon, and Director, Skinnovation Clinics

“Not really! Rather, it is the other way round. The weight gain increases the problem of PCOS rather than PCOS causing weight gain. And yes, aesthetic treatments help in treating acne associated with the hyperandrogenism and PCOS. But it is important to understand that aesthetic procedures and conventional treatments are going to fail unless you understand this situation of a hyperandrogenic state and treat it with medicines and lifestyle management because that is an important part of your treatment. Unless you take care of that, your aesthetic procedures and conventional treatments both are going to fail. Of course, weight management is the most important part of this treatment.”