PCOS can even change how your interval appears to be like and feels. When you haven’t had one in a number of months, then instantly it arrives, there could be an enormous buildup of endometrial tissue (a.ok.a. the uterine lining) and, consequently, the bleeding could be “heavy, lengthy, and painful,” says Dr. Vash-Margita. Adeeyo, who’s now a Los Angeles-based psychological well being therapist and creator, recollects that her month-long interval was fairly heavy with a darkish purple colour. “I felt as if somebody lower me up on the within,” she says. “It might be lighter within the mornings, however for probably the most half, it was fixed bleeding and I justified it as a result of I hadn’t had a interval for months prior so I used to be like, ‘Oh that is simply built-up blood.’ Lady, please.”

2. You’ve (or as soon as had) deep cystic zits in your jawline, face, chest, or arms.

Pimples can present up in a ton of how—and for a boatload of causes. However PCOS pimples are inclined to feel and look quite a bit completely different than, say, a random cluster of whiteheads, Gil Weiss, MD, an ob-gyn and assistant professor of medical medication at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, tells SELF: You’ll usually see massive, deep cysts, fairly than small, superficial pimples, Dr. Weiss says. (They could or could not seem purple, relying in your pores and skin tone.) For Dr. Vash-Margita, the place zits reveals up additionally components into her PCOS suspicions. “It’s often extreme, inflammatory zits on the face, higher chest, higher again, higher arms.”

So why would possibly PCOS set off these kinds of breakouts? It comes again to these extra androgens, which may stimulate your oil glands and make a really perfect atmosphere for acne-causing micro organism to thrive. (Nonetheless, zits alone wouldn’t represent a prognosis, Dr. Vash-Margita reiterates—it’s only one potential indicator.)

Maybe a bit extra refined signal of PCOS? Even when cystic zits pale way back (say, you exited your tumultuous teen years and the hormonal pandemonium that went with it—thank god), Dr. Vash-Margita says that the pores and skin situation can generally result in a variety of scarring—and a doc would possibly be aware that when contemplating a prognosis.

3. You’ve extra—or much less—hair in locations that aren’t your typical.

It’s not unusual to get just a few stray strands in your chin once in a while, or some development in your higher lip. Nonetheless, in case you’re coping with hair in locations that aren’t typical for you, Dr. Vash-Margita says it might be one thing to concentrate to as a result of extra androgens trigger it to sprout in surprising spots.

Nonetheless, she not often makes a PCOS prognosis primarily based on this alone—fairly, she asks the particular person how they really feel about it. “Some persons are okay with facial hair, and a few persons are bothered by it. You possibly can by no means assume,” she explains, noting that the higher lip, chin, sideburns, decrease stomach, or decrease again may be development areas. Hair loss will also be a possible signal that one thing’s up as a result of androgens could cause thinning, significantly on the high of your head, and widening down your center half, which is named androgenetic alopecia.

4. Your insulin ranges are off.

Lots of people with PCOS have a better threat of insulin resistance, that means the physique loses its sensitivity to the hormone, Dr. Klein says. Individuals who have PCOS are inclined to have, on common, elevated ranges of blood sugar and insulin, he explains, which may result in extra severe well being issues like coronary heart illness and sort 2 diabetes. Scientists aren’t precisely certain why, however “we do know that the reproductive hormonal imbalance and metabolic disruption that’s widespread in PCOS is concerned,” Dr. Klein says. This will—however not in all circumstances—be accompanied by extra physique fats than is regular for you, significantly round your waist. Almost half of all individuals with PCOS even have metabolic syndrome, a cluster of well being markers—together with hypertension, blood sugar, and a sort of fats within the blood referred to as triglycerides—that may completely mess together with your well being, Dr. Vash-Margita says.

5. You’re feeling depressed and out-of-sorts.

In line with Dr. Klein, there’s no query that PCOS and psychological well being are intertwined—individuals with the situation are at a better threat for issues like despair, nervousness, and consuming issues. As for whether or not dwelling with PCOS causes these issues to occur, that’s scientifically TBD, he notes: “It’s a little bit messy. It’s not a really straight-line sort of relationship.”