Exposing PCOS: Sasha Pieterse’s Raw and Real Journey Through Hormones, Healing, and Hope
On her hit podcast Women In The Nude, Sasha Pieterse exposes everything—except her body. In a recent emotional and deeply personal episode, Sasha opened up about her long, misunderstood battle with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), sharing her years of misdiagnoses, silent suffering, and eventual empowerment through knowledge, advocacy, and self-discovery.
“What the Fck is PCOS?” – Sasha’s Turning Point*
Sasha spent much of her youth on screen. Best known for her role on Pretty Little Liars, she grew up in front of millions—navigating both adolescence and unexplained physical changes under intense public scrutiny. By age 16, she began gaining weight rapidly, despite a clean diet and strict fitness regimen. She knew something was wrong, but no doctor took her seriously.
“I saw 17 gynecologists,” Sasha recalls. “I was told I was lying, that I’d grow out of it, or that I just needed to exercise more.” She pushed for answers, only to be repeatedly dismissed. Until, finally, one doctor asked a question no one else had: “Have you seen an endocrinologist?”
That single question changed her life.
The Diagnosis That Finally Made Everything Make Sense
After extensive bloodwork, Sasha finally had a name for what had been wreaking havoc on her body: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Ironically, she didn’t even have cysts on her ovaries—a reminder that PCOS presents differently for everyone. Her results showed high testosterone, low vitamin D, and erratic cholesterol levels, all classic PCOS indicators.
“I wasn’t crazy,” she said. “And all the people who made me feel like I was? They were wrong.”
With that diagnosis, Sasha could finally begin healing—physically and emotionally.
The Invisible Weight of Misunderstood Illness
For Sasha, PCOS wasn’t just physical. It affected her mental health, self-image, and career. As her body changed, public perception shifted. Designers refused to dress her. Social media trolls speculated cruelly about her appearance. “I didn’t look like their idea of an ‘it girl’ anymore,” she said. “But the truth was—I didn’t have answers either.”
That vulnerability eventually led her to open up online. She told fans: “I’m on this journey with you.”
When Hormones Collide: The PCOS-Epilepsy Connection
In one of the episode’s most powerful reveals, Sasha shared that she also has epilepsy—something she had never discussed publicly before.
She had her first seizure at 15, right before a Pretty Little Liars press day. Doctors were unable to explain it. For years, she had periodic seizures without a clear trigger—until she was diagnosed with PCOS and began suspecting a connection.
Her hunch was right. Hormonal fluctuations—especially during her menstrual cycle—correlated with seizure activity. “Lack of sleep and hormone spikes are a dangerous duo for me,” she explained. “That connection made everything click.”
Rethinking Health: What Actually Helped Sasha Heal
What worked for others didn’t work for Sasha—and it took a while to unlearn conventional “health” wisdom. Cardio made her feel faint. Vegetables made her nauseous. HIIT workouts exhausted her.
Her endocrinologist prescribed a new path:
✅ Low-impact workouts like Pilates
✅ Higher-protein, mid-fat diet
✅ No more extreme cardio
✅ Strict sleep schedule to manage hormones and seizures
And yes, Metformin, a common PCOS medication, played a crucial role—despite her initial hesitation about introducing hormones or medications.
PCOS, Pregnancy, and a Bit of a Miracle
When Sasha and her husband decided to try for a baby, she braced for a long road. To her surprise, she conceived naturally. Though her pregnancy came with challenges—including pelvic dysfunction and significant weight gain—her baby boy, Hendrix, arrived healthy.
But something else changed too: her hormones reset.
After giving birth, her periods became regular for the first time in her life. “My PCOS became dormant,” she said. “And that felt like a miracle.”
The PCOS Toolkit Sasha Swears By
Sasha now urges listeners—especially women struggling to get diagnosed—to arm themselves with information and demand better care. Her essentials:
Full blood panel: testosterone, estrogen, DHA, iron, cholesterol, vitamin D
A doctor who listens
A realistic, sustainable diet (not based on trends)
Exercise that energizes, not depletes
Rest and stress management
Being in tune with your body’s signals
“Getting a diagnosis is not the end—it’s the beginning of taking your power back,” she says.
To The Teen Girls (And Everyone Struggling)
A listener named Joy asked: “How do I keep my body and mind healthy with PCOS as a teen?”
Sasha answered from the heart. “Being a teen is hard enough,” she said. “Add a chronic condition, and it feels impossible. But there is hope. There are answers. And you are not alone.”
Sasha’s New Normal: Sustainable Wellness
Post-pregnancy, Sasha underwent surgery for diastasis recti to repair separated abdominal muscles. That helped reduce her chronic back pain and allowed her to rebuild core strength through Pilates.
She fell in love with cooking again—reimagining recipes to fit her PCOS needs. In fact, she’s working on a PCOS-friendly cookbook, following her original Sasha in Good Taste.
Her biggest lesson?
“Health isn’t about ‘bouncing back.’ It’s about building something sustainable—mentally, physically, emotionally. That’s what I want now: to feel strong and good.”
