What Causes Excessive Hair Growth / Hirsutism/ And How To Treat Hirsutism
About 7 percent of the women suffer from excessive hair growth. A few dark hairs around the nipples for example maybe normal but if the hair is similar to that of a man it is probably a condition called hirsutism.
Hirsutism is the term used for increased hair growth in women in areas that are not usually hairy – hairs over the face, chest, back, stomach, thighs and upper arms.
Excessive hair growth is women can be very distressing and unpleasant and can often indicate presence of hormonal problems that require examination. Excess androgen hormones often make terminal hairs heavier, thicker and darker.
Hirsutism can range from a few dark chin hairs to a mustache and sideburns to a full bread and hairy chest. Excessive hair growth in women usually occurs in the midline of the body – upper lip, chin, abdomen and chest.
Excessive hair should be a matter of great concern to a woman. There could be many reasons for excessive hair growth like congenital cause, imbalance of hormones, pregnancy, irregular menses, mental tension.
WHAT CAUSES EXCESSIVE HAIR GROWTH:
- Production of male hormones
- Menopause
- Some medications
- Excessive hair growth can be hereditary
- Ovarian/ adrenal tumors
- Cushing’s syndrome
- Hyperthecosis
- Puberty
- Pregnancy
- Metabolic disorders
Hirsutism has a variety of causes most of which relate to excess androgen production.
The most common cause of excessive hair growth in women is the presence of male hormones / androgens/. In other words the hair follicles produce mostly terminal type hair.
Menopause can also cause hirsutism because of decreased estrogen. Before and after menopause the ovaries don’t ovulate regularly and the estrogen levels drop – the continued androgen production leads to an increased in the number of terminal hairs.
Some medications can cause excessive hair growth in women. These include – testosterone, anabolic steroids, danazol, metryrapone.
In 2 percent of the cases the cause is the presence of ovarian tumor, because tumors produce androgens.
Other common cause of hirsutism is Cushing’s syndrome – excess cortisol production can cause excessive hair growth in both men and women.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF HIRSUTISM:
The symptom of hirsutism is the excessive growth of hair in women on chin, face, chest, around the nipples and abdomen. Consult a doctor to determine the cause of your hirsutism.
WHAT ARE THE TREATMENTS OF EXCESSIVE HAIR GROWTH?
You should never feel embarrassed and uncomfortable about your hirsutism. You are not the only one with this problem. Hirsutism is a symptom rather than a disease and may be a sign of a more serious medical indication.
Hirsutism is usually treated with hormones.
Birth control pills are most commonly used. They prevent ovarian androgen production.
Spironolactones are also used to treat excessive hair growth because they block the effect of androgens on the hair follicles.
If your hirsutism is caused by a tumor it should be removed surgically.
Temporarily ways to remove excessive hair include:
Waxing – Waxing is the most useful method for removing unwanted hair. Waxing removes hair for long periods of time and hair that is waxed grow back finer.If you have a mild facial hair problem, waxing will control the situation without causing stubble.
Plucking – Unfortunately the hair removal when plucking is temporarily (around two/three weeks) and stimulates the hair follicles to grow stronger hair.
Laser hair removal – The laser is the best way to remove unwanted body hair. Common treatment locations include legs, armpits, upper lip, bikini line, chin and back. Hair follicles absorb the light and heat up, destroying the hair and preventing re-growth. A percentage of these follicles are permanently disabled with each treatment. The laser targets only the cells under the surface and doesn’t harm the surrounding areas.
Electrolysis – Electrolysis destroys hair follicles with the heat generated by an electrolic current. Electrolysis can remove the unwanted hair permanently after five/ six sessions.
Never shave your face, chest and abdomen. Never.
Any articles or reviews on skin foundation that aids in covering a facial mustache???
Dead Dab Allen,
Unfortunately there hasn’t been yet discovered a way to hide a moustache. Unfortunately there isn’t a foundation nor yet a face powder that has the ability to hide a moustache. The only way to hide it /depending on the thickness of the hair and on the color / is to bleach it with the help of a special bleaching gel or cream, and of course the most popular way to remove an unwanted hair – to wax it.
Let’s hope that somebody will discover a permanent way to hide a moustache soon, or even better – to remove it permanently.
how to controle the facial hair growth, and how to reduce the hair density in men?
i’m a 20 year old man.
i have too much rough facial hairs which are difficult to shave off completely… i dont want the beard.
is there any way to make my beard clean shaven?
naturally my hair growth is more… How to control the growth?…
please help. . .
hi!! em realy suffering from facial hair growth…its v embarassing.
what do i do? ma harmone test was correct. n i have used different medicines…em not finding any way to get rid ov ths.
hi!!!im really suffering from execessive hair growth especially on my face but not only there but also on my legs..very embarassing…
what is the remedy should i do since i dont hve enough money to go a doctor and have test about my hormones? i cant take shaving all the time….cant find any way to get rid of this..hoping your kind to answer my problem..thank you!!
Dear Mirasol,
in my opinion the best thing you can do is to consult a doctor and test your chormone levels. Excessive hair growth is 99% caused by chormone changes. Never shave the excessive hair growth of your face – never it will only get worse. Wax it or try laser hair removal but forget about shaving.
Go to a doctor immediately and he/she can prescribe you a medicine that may help you.
Regards,
HI. Well, is there a natural way to block hirsuitism? I really don’t want to take birth control pills?
everything you wrote about, I have it! I am only 23 yrs old. 
I feel so like a man. Please email me any remedies or natural cures. I went to the doc but i dont want to take birth control pills as ive taken it before to control my menstruation and it didn’t work.
hi,
i am suffering from hirsuitism and it is very embarrasing.i have hair growth over my face,chest,abdomen,thighs which is abnormal.i did some hormone tests like-androgen level,testosterone levels,oestrogen,prolactin and even usg to rule out pcos but there was no abnormality.what shall i do?please help!
Hello,
I have a little hair on my upper lips and other parts of my body and really truly wish to remove it.I haven seen a doc cos my parents don want me to go…[lol they wanna save money]My mum said that waxing is just as pain as plucking and that waxing the mouthstarch grows faster than plucking and have to do it often.I don know whether it is true…As an advice should a 14-year old use waxing?What should i do?Help cos my classmates are all teasing me like mad.Reply me as soon as possible pls!
Btw,how long does it last for waxing out the hair on my upper lips?Plucking is two to three weeks so how long is the long period for waxing?
Dear Missy,
I do not see anything wrong in waxing the hair on the upper lip at your age. The result depends on how thick the hair is. Waxing usually lasts from 2 to 4 weeks. Try to wax and see how it works for you. The other thing you can do is try to bleach /only if the hairs are not thick and too dark/ or try laser hair removal.
regards,
Hi,er my mother says that waxing should not be done for those with sensitive skin…,er she asked me to use threading method…Er will my skin bleed or get rashes if i use waxing on sensitive skin?Cos my mother’s friend had used waxing and she had sensitive skin,she got two red marks on her upper lips that only recovered after one month…So is waxing or threading better?
Btw will threading cause my facial hair to grow back faster and thicker???HELP!
To everyone,i just threaded,warning for those who wanna do waxing method..the growth of hair is the same but threading is better because there is no side effects.Waxing is more painful and if u are unlucky or got sensitive skin u will get rashes and disfigure ur face.mAKE UR CHOICE.i JUST DONE IT.Its not really painful…
Er i have a question again,will shaving my leg hairs and hand hairs stimulate thicker and more growth of the hair?Or will it just remain same growth?i need help!Pls.
Dear Missy,
Although many women prefer to shave their legs I do not recommend shaving the legs as the hairs will grow back faster /and in most of the cases thicker/and after a few months you will have to shave almost everyday. Try waxing, using depilating cream or laser hair removal. As for the hands – never, never shave them. If you want to get rid of the unwanted hairs on your hands wax them.
Regards,
I c…Ty for ur advice…i’ve try waxing.If i wanna use hair removal cream on my hands,can?
omg,actually i just shaved my hands and legs…[once]will it stimulate thicker growth?Omg,forever?Or if i just do waxing it will resume normal growth?Will hair removal cream have same results as waxing and do not stimulate thicker hair growth?If so,can u introduce me some products for sensitive skin?ty…
im 15 and still in puberty. before hand i just thought i was realy hairy because my dad is. but lately ive noticed within the past couple years that i have a hairly abdomen (stomac), hairy nipples, and i have hairs on my chin. it is really embarrasing and i try to cut my chin hair but it grows back 2 quickly i dont know what to do. i just want to find something that will work, wont damage my face and wont be that expensive.
Laila – There are bleaches in the razor/wax isle in many stores (Target, Sephora, Walgreens, etc.) that are mild and safe to use on skin and face. (Don’t worry, the product does not hurt.) I, myself have a few unwanted hairs on my face that I bleach. There are many women and girls who have the same problem.
Check this out:
http://www.walgreens.com/store/product.jsp?CATID=100558&navAction=jump&navCount=2&nug=VPD&skuid=sku307174&id=prod7174
Whatever you do, DO NOT buy the Sally Hansen version.
i really need help, i shaved my legs for a couple years and i had really nice legs but since i have light skin and really dark hair i started realizing that my leg hair was getting thicker and it did and it is terrible i tried waxing and my hair grew terribly fast and its just dark with really light skin and it looks like a dalmations legs im so ebarrased to wear shorts or even go too the pool i wear pants in the summer and its just terrible i have black stubs after i shave and in the morning since i have fast hair growth it feels like sand paper and i really dont know its just terribl PLEASE HELP if anyone could help me i would apreciate it.
omg,actually i just shaved my hands and legs…[once]will it stimulate thicker growth?Omg,forever?Or if i just do waxing it will resume normal growth?Will hair removal cream have same results as waxing and do not stimulate thicker hair growth?If so,can u introduce me some products for sensitive skin?ty…
Hi,i just done threading.I wanna know if threading is the same as plucking out ur hair?Will it stimulate faster and thicker growth or the hair growth will remain the same or will it grow finer?If it grows finer then will it be more or be lesser?HELP!
hi, iv been threading my upper lip for almost 3 years and now my upper lip has gone really dark.
so i decided to have laser hair removal done, iv had 4 treatments done but the discoloration wont go…what can i use for that?
How about about bleaching?Omg then can i ask?U thread yourself or u go to beauty salons to do it?Then what will happen to me!!!!Omg…Cry….So it stimulates thicker growth and darker hair then?
well yes threading makes the hair grow back thicker! i used to go to the beauty salon for my threading….bleaching wont help because its the skin thats gone dark ,i dont have that many hair now coz im having laser done but because my upper lip is dark it looks like iv got a stubble…i jus nid something that wud lighten it
hmm,then if i combine both the methods,i wonder what will happen?U know,since waxing makes hair thiner,then if i just done threading and i apply the wax on it,what will happen?So will it still stimulate thicker hair growth?Anyone can answer me?sammy?
hey i’m in a serious problem,i did threading,ok i say it was good but!!!!My upper lips were very pale…no hair but pale!But originally pale la…my face colour is rosy so not match…people keep saying i got hair on my upper lips when there is none at all…What should i do?Should i tan that area’?Someone help!
Hello which doc should i see?A normal one or a specialist?And what specialist is it called?
I searched for a long time and found this post. Thanks a lot….
hey,
I am not sure if i have hirsutism, because i don’t really have excessive facial hair.
However i do have a hairy abdomen back, arms and legs.
I am really embarrassed by this and i don’t ever wear short sleeved shirts or shorts/skirts.
Also I live in a really hot country which makes it really difficult in the summer to hide my arms.
Please help me!!
hi!i was suffering 4rm diffused hair loss,i got treatment 4 dat wch included topical steroids 4 2 mnths n multivitamins,aftr dat i usd minoxidil hair spray n kept usin multivitamins wch along wth other vits contain 3500IU vit.A.NOW um havin hair on da side of my cheeks on chin n on cheek bones.da hair r vry fine n thin don seem 2 b becuz ov hormonal imbalance,ma menses r regular,jzz 10 dayz late aftr ramzan,vch is vry normal 4 me coz artr ramzan ma menses r usually late.um 23 yrz old.wat do u suggest 4 me?
So about 6-7 years ago I noticed that I had a full grown in goatee…I was able to curl it, and it was as though it grew overnight. I shaved the first time and then just plucked the sporatic hairs as they became visible. However I now have to shave just about every other day because its so dark and grows so fast. I also have hair growth slightly on my sideburn area and down my throat. The normal hair growth areas also grow faster than average, causing me to have to shave every other day also..
Im not entirely sure the cause. I had thought possibly medication because I didnt notice it until after I had stopped taking it. And now I havent been on that medication since I was 17, currently 23, and it doesnt seem to get any better. I also thought possibly a hormone imbalance, Im built ‘like a man’, very broad shoulders, large hands, tall, large muscle build(minimal exercising and weight lifting) and a very deep voice, which only lightened slightly at puberty. I am unable to see a doctor, but need some sort of closure/answers.
This is impairing my confidence and my desire to be intimate. Is there a cheap way to attempt to counteract this? Or somehow block the growth at least until I can afford laser removal.
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