Hirsutism: What Causes Superfluous Hair Growth in Women

Men seldom, or do not at all, object to a tendency to excessive hair growth. But for women, hirsutism - the growth of superfluous hair - is something they naturally regard with extreme repugnance. A friend of mine is particularly indignant at the mess the cream she uses to remove unwanted hair from her face creates, not to mention the mild irritation she experiences each time she applies it. She's hoping she'll be able to afford an electrolysis soon enough.

What exactly causes hirsutism? Why does it seem to be more common in brunettes than in blondes? And why is it not unusual for women to develop superfluous hair on the face at puberty, during pregnancy, and during menopause?

A major factor in hirsutism is heredity, with hormone activity often working as the trigger. The superfluous hair often appears during pregnancy and gets more pronounced with each successive pregnancy. But in other cases, the excess hair growth becomes stable instead of steadily increasing.

In a few instances, hirsutism is caused by a systemic disorder, such as by a disturbance of the endocrine glands or by the development of certain male traits. When this happens, it is likely that other conditions - such as menstrual irregularities and acne - are also present. To ascertain the cause of every case of hirsutism, an exhaustive laboratory and medical examination is necessary. A doctor experienced in this condition (ideally an endocrinologist) will then outline the options available for the treatment of each examined case.

Superfluous hair growth may also be the result of having used certain medications, an example of which is prednisone which is used either as an immunosuppressant or as an anti-inflammatory agent. Since the effect to the body of this type of medication cannot be eliminated, the solution in this particular case may be the removal of the extra hair on a regular basis by means of any one of the known hair-removal methods.

Plucking and shaving are the most practical and safest methods for a woman to get rid of unwanted hair. In another method, a depilatory cream (as that used by my friend) is applied to dissolve surface hair. Such creams however, while effective, can be messy and may irritate the skin. Waxing, on the other hand, is a tedious and painful process; it can also irritate the skin.

A safe alternative for the permanent removal of superfluous hair is electrolysis. However, this method is both time-consuming and expensive. The procedure makes use of a needle to run an electric current to the hair root. The resulting damage allows for the easy removal of the unwanted hair with the use of tweezers. One very important aspect of this hair-removal method is that it inhibits new hair growth.

Source: http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/hormone/210.html