Laser and light-based therapies, either alone or combined with medication, can effectively reduce hirsutism severity among women with polycystic ovary syndrome, Australian doctors say.

Their systematic review also suggests that the non-invasive treatments lead to significant improvements in anxiety and depression scores, as well as overall quality of life, in affected patients.

Melbourne endocrinologist and study author Professor Helena Teede said GPs “can be reassured” by the evidence supporting the use of laser and light-based therapies in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)-associated hirsutism.

“[Hirsutism] often threatens women’s feminine identity, it has psychosocial implications, it can affect self-esteem and body image, and it often results in very costly and time-consuming strategies to control it,” she told AusDoc.