Causes of Facial Hair Growth in Women

Facial hair on women causes great agony, embarrassment, and distress. It can also be a sign of a health issue - in fact, the most common cause of facial hair on women is a hormone imbalance that also increases risk of heart disease, diabetes and infertility.

The growth of facial hair on women or excess body hair carries the medical term 'hirsutism'. Hirsutism can be hereditary; women of European extraction are more likely to grow facial hair than either women of African or Asian descent. If a woman's mother and grandmother or aunts have facial hair, it is likely that she will also grow facial hair. But if it's not genetic, what causes women to grow facial hair is likely medical.

The two most likely medical causes of facial hair growth in women are overproduction of testosterone or overproduction of adrenal hormones. While we cannot say for sure that women with facial hair have a certain 'problem' with their hormones, we know that the most common causes of facial hair on women are PCOS and adrenal tumors.

For the first, PCOS is an acronym for polycystic ovarian syndrome, sometimes called polycystic ovarian disorder. PCOS causes female facial hair for many women; it is the symptom that often sends a woman to the doctor. The good news is that once PCOS is under control, the facial hair growth won't get any worse. The bad news is that it doesn't get much better, either. Women with facial hair growth caused by PCOS can get laser hair removal or electrolysys treatment to permanently remove the facial hair. If you suspect PCOS may be causing female facial hair, take a PCOS quiz to see if you have other symptoms.

The second cause of female facial hair growth, excess adrenal hormones, can be caused by adrenal gland problems. The adrenal glands are located on the kidneys, and usually produce adrenaline, sex hormones (the aforementioned testosterone and estrogen) and hormones used in electrolyte balance like cortisone. Adrenal gland problems that can cause women to grow facial hair include tumors and cancer. Diagnosis of adrenal tumors is done with blood tests and X-rays.

Because both of these causes of facial hair in women can indicate serious health problems, it is important that women with facial hair growth not caused by their unfortunate genes should bring it to the attention of a doctor. Facial hair on women is not just a cosmetic issue - that whisker may save your life!

Your Adrenal Glands by Endocrineweb.com
Hirsutism & PCOS by Natural Health Solutions
Excess Facial Hair by Laurie Green, M.D.