What is PCOS and how is it treated?
Last updated September 3, 2026.
PCOS is a common hormone imbalance: the ovaries may not release an egg every month, male-hormone levels run high, and the body often resists insulin. Irregular periods are the hallmark, with acne and extra hair growth as common companions. Treatment targets your goals - hormonal birth control to regulate cycles, metformin for insulin resistance, weight management for the underlying picture, and ovulation-inducing medication when pregnancy is the goal.
What to do
- Get a real diagnosis. Irregular periods plus acne or extra hair growth deserve a workup - hormone tests and often an ultrasound.
- Treat toward your goal. Cycle regulation, skin and hair symptoms, metabolic health, and fertility each have their own first-line treatment.
- Take the insulin resistance seriously. PCOS raises long-term diabetes and heart-disease risk; lifestyle change is treatment, not a footnote.
- Revisit the plan over time. The right regimen shifts when pregnancy becomes a goal or symptoms change.
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