FOUR in ten adults have not heard of a common condition which can leave people suffering excess hair growth and even infertility.
A study of 2,000 men and women revealed just how many were unaware what polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is, or what symptoms it can cause.
The condition, where ovaries don’t regularly release eggs, produce high levels of ‘male’ hormones and cause polycystic ovaries, is said to affect one in 10 UK women.
And seven in 10 were not aware that excessive hair growth, infertility (53 per cent) and irregular periods (46 per cent) were symptoms of the condition.
And 72 per cent of women experience at least one of the signs without necessarily knowing it could be linked to the disorder, with weight gain (24 per cent), acne or oily skin (17 per cent) and excess hair growth (10 per cent) most common.
As a result, 57 per cent wish there was more awareness of polycystic ovary syndrome, to stop it being such a taboo subject.
Chloé Fallon, beauty expert for Philips Lumea IPL hair removal devices, which commissioned the research to support PCOS Awareness Month this September, said: “This is a remarkably common condition that there’s not enough awareness of.
“It is something that affects literally millions of women around the world but is rarely spoken about openly.
“Instead, lots of women are left struggling to deal with a wide range of symptoms that can really impact their health and their confidence on a daily basis.”
The study also found 76 per cent of all adults believe men should be more informed about women’s health issues such as PCOS.
And 14 per cent of the women polled have experienced excessive hair growth on the face, chest or abdomen.
Of these, 25 per cent claim this affected their day-to-day life ‘very significantly’, while only 17 per cent weren’t affected at all.
Women who were affected felt constantly worried about their appearance (58 per cent), afraid of judgement from colleagues (32 per cent) or unable to wear certain clothes (21 per cent).
While 29 per cent avoided social situations where possible, and 16 per cent stopped dating, according to the OnePoll.com figures.
A huge 95 per cent of women attempted hair removal themselves, whether by shaving, plucking or using a hair removal cream.
And 47 per cent felt very self-conscious about the issue while they were affected.
Philips Lumea IPL hair removal devices, which claims its intense pulsed light technology products can reduce hair regrowth for up to 12 months, has teamed with social media content creator, Zoe Antonia to share her story of the condition.
She said: “My PCOS journey started at 17, with a few rogue chin hairs, raging cystic acne and irregular periods which got diagnosed as PCOS.
“My body and facial hair growth made me feel so self-conscious as a teen and I often questioned whether there was something wrong with me.
“However, along the way I learnt to accept this part of me and sharing this journey online I found out that many other women struggle with similar symptoms to me, and sharing such raw unfiltered images online became a source of strength and helped me to build confidence outside of my looks.
“Alongside various nutrition and lifestyle changes I’ve made to reduce hair growth, using my IPL hair removal device has helped me to significantly reduce my hair re-growth, especially on areas like my lower belly, upper lip and chin area.
Chloé Fallon added: “Topics around women’s health like PCOS, including the symptoms and misconceptions are important discussions to have, and ones we hope in the near future people will feel more confident openly talking about without judgement, like Zoe is able to with her followers.”