Date: 12/10/2009

I have suffered for many years with excess facial hair and have recently been diagnosed with poly cystic ovaries. My GP says that the hair growth is a symptom of the condition and that it is unlikely that I will get rid of the hair growth. I'm so upset to think that I will always have this problem can you give me any advise.

We treat many women in our clinic suffering from excess facial hair and we understand that it can be extremely distressing. We use a system of permanent hair reduction known as Intense Pulsed Light that targets dark hairs and destroys them. In patients that suffer from Poly Cystic Ovaries (POC) we do not suggest that we will achieve permanent reduction however we offer hair growth management. Depending on the individual we have seen some fantastic results giving the patient between 6-10 months without hair and when it does return it can be approximately 50% less than the original problem. Whilst this remains an ongoing procedure it does offer long periods without hair eliminating the need for daily shaving or plucking.

Date: 12/10/2009

I recently got my holiday pictures back and noticed what looks like a dark moustache on my top lip. I was horrified and when I looked I have a definite brown staining running along my top lip and a little patch on my forehead. I am due to get married in January and don't want to look like a man in my wedding photographs! Please can you advise my on how to get rid of it.

It sounds like you have a condition known as melasma which is a skin pigmentation disorder usually associated with the interaction of the sun and hormonal influences such as pregnancy or the contraceptive pill. The condition is usually more visible during the summer and may fade a little during the winter. Melasma can be treated with topical creams containing hydroquinone, which suppresses the pigmentation and in severe cases this can be followed with a chemical peel. In most cases the condition will be visibly improved after 6-8 weeks. We can treat many different types of pigmentation but it is very important that this is diagnosed properly in order to give the correct treatment advice.