The Chin Hair Conversation I Didn't Know I Needed

This week, mid-facial, my esthetician asked if she could pluck my chin hairs. I said yes, obviously, and then we started talking about all of the things we have to do to maintain our appearance as women, which naturally led to hair loss, and she — who is Irish, which makes everything she says land harder — looked at me completely deadpan and said, "They're losing it on their head and gaining it on their chin."

I've never felt so seen in my life.

Because if you have PCOS, you know. The acne that shows up on your jaw like it's paying rent. The three hairs you find on your chin on a Tuesday for no reason. The question you're always running in the background: is this my pillowcase, my towels, my workout, or the hormonal disorder I'll be managing for the rest of my adult life?

Here's the short version of what's actually happening: PCOS drives up androgens (testosterone and related hormones), which can shrink hair follicles on your scalp while simultaneously encouraging them everywhere else. It's not random or your skincare routine; it's your endocrine system doing its thing, loudly, on your face.

I don't want to go back on birth control, I'm not ready to commit to spironolactone, and I've mostly made my peace with the fact that I will probably be plucking in the car for the foreseeable future — but I'm also starting to think laser hair removal wouldn't hurt.