Don't you just adore that tiny coarse hair or hairs that crop up on your chin every so often? You can snip it, pluck it, wax it, or shave it but, lo and behold, it always returns - sometimes with additional playmates for all the world to see! But there's no need to fear you'll become the Wicked Witch. There are ways to manage these unwanted guests.
The medical term for coarse, dark hair that grows in a male pattern is hirsutism (HER′-sa-TIS′-um). I'm not talking here about a few wild hairs: Some women experience enough growth to simulate a beard or hair on the chest. Needless to say, it can be a significant source of emotional, if not physical discomfort.
The culprit behind this unwelcome hair growth is a family of male hormones called androgens, which are generally produced in the adrenal glands and ovaries. All men and women have them (along with many other hormones), but each person's sensitivity to androgens, and the amounts of these hormones circulating in the body, vary by gender and genetics.
When receptors on the hair follicles are activated by androgen signals, the follicle's size as well as the diameter of its hair fiber increases, as does the time the hair spends in a growth phase as opposed to a resting phase.
When a woman's hormone levels are normal but hirsutism is still present, the hair growth is referred to as idiopathic, meaning we don't know the precise cause. Sometimes, however, hair growth is associated with irregular menstrual cycles, acne, weight gain, or other changes that may indicate an underlying hormonal disorder such as polycystic ovary syndrome or adrenal hyperplasia. These are conditions that require further medical evaluation, so consider discussing your symptoms with a doctor.
In the meantime, don't let these hairs cause you emotional distress. There are many ways to deal with hirsutism:
- Tweezing, waxing, and shaving. These hair-removal techniques have stood the test of time because they are effective and reasonably priced-and they can be done at home. Unfortunately, these methods are only temporary.
- Electrolysis. This method of removing hair has been around for a while, too, and can reduce growth over time. But it must be done by a professional trained in the procedure and is more expensive than the do-it-yourself methods.
- Laser hair removal. Typically only available from a trained dermatologist, laser hair removal, like electrolysis, will reduce hair growth over time. You will initially need quite a few visits, which most likely won't be covered by insurance. Laser removal works best with dark hair on a backdrop of light skin because the laser can bleach the underlying skin.
- Medications. Spironoloactone is a relatively inexpensive medication available by prescription only. It is classified as a diuretic which causes the kidneys to make more urine, but more interestingly it interferes with the levels and action of the androgens, like testosterone. It may take as long as two months to see the results, though, and spironoloactone must be used continually to maintain its effectiveness. Another commonly used medication is eflornithine cream (Vaniqa), which works by slowing the hairs' growth cycle. If you are currently removing the hair four times a week, after eight weeks of using the cream you can expect to do it only twice a week. This medication is also only effective as long as it is used.
- Oral contraceptives. Especially effective are those containing the newer progesterones like desogestrel, norgestimate, or drospirenone (brand names: Yasmin, Yaz), which are less androgenic or anti-androgenic in nature. By taking these synthetic hormones in an oral contraceptive, your natural levels of estrogen, progesterone and other androgens will be suppressed.
If you suffer with hirsutism, don't hesitate to talk to your doctor so she can look for a cause and offer you one of the many effective treatments.
