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.
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What do you think?
April 14th, 2008 @5:56 am
Any articles or reviews on skin foundation that aids in covering a facial mustache???
April 15th, 2008 @5:44 pm
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.
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