Hirsutism is a condition where too much hair grows on your body or face. It can occur in both males and females, but usually women consider it more of a problem. As a rule, when women have hirsutism they have thick, dark hair on their back, chest, face and abdomen. Women from certain ethnic groups are inclined to have more body hair than others. Even though they do have excessive hair, it doesn't mean that they have hirsutism. Hirsutism is a different type of hair than the fine baby hair that is usually found on a woman's body.
The male hormone androgen occurs in both males and females. When it occurs in abnormally high levels in women, they are more prone to hirsutism. Other symptoms of high hormones in women are irregular menstrual periods, acne, deeper voice and increased muscle mass.
If you are overweight, losing weight will reduce the number of hormones in your body that cause increased hair growth. Of course, shaving is the safest and fastest method for removing hair. Skin can become irritated when you shave often, so you are advised to apply a small amount of 1% hydrocortisone cream. There can be underlying health reasons for women having hirsutism such as polycystic ovary syndrome and Cushings Disease. Women can also experience hirsutism as a result of hair follicles that are overly sensitive to male hormones. Medicines such as birth control pills, anabolic steroids and hormones also are known to cause excessive hair growth in certain women. Hirsutism is known to run in families and be hereditary.
If you have had a sudden increase in body or facial hair or your voice becomes deeper, a visit to the family doctor may be in order. Your family doctor can advise you more about this condition, and get some testing done to find out the causes.
