Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormone imbalance that can cause irregular periods, unwanted hair growth, and acne. PCOS begins during a girl’s teen years and can be mild or severe.
Some of the most common signs of PCOS include:
- Irregular periods that come every few months, not at all, or too frequently
- Extra hair on your face or other parts of your body, called hirsutism (her-suit-is-em)
- Acne
- Weight gain and/or trouble losing weight
- Patches of dark skin on the back of your neck and other areas, called acanthosis nigricans (a-can-tho-sis ni-gri-cans)
Check out our PCOS health guides.
Do you think you might have PCOS? Take our quiz to find out.