HirsutismI'm getting thick facial hair, particularly around my lip, cheeks and chin. It is also growing on my shoulders and at the top of my legs.
As a 20-year-old woman I'm really embarrassed by my problem and have started to avoid social situations in case other people notice it. Why is this happening to me?
Normal hair growth ranges from the hardly noticeable to the very obvious, but even a modest hair growth can look more noticeable if you have pale skin and dark hair.
The tendency to grow more body hair can run in families and is more prevalent in some races. The medical term for excessive hair growth is hirsutism.
The most frequently affected areas in women are the "beard" area - the upper lip, chin and the cheeks in front of the ears - but it can also occur on the chest, tummy, shoulders and the front of thighs.
Although robust hair growth does not automatically indicate there is an underlying medical problem, in some women it can be related to the over-activity of the male sex hormones. Some medical conditions involving the ovaries or the adrenal glands can also cause hirsutism. You should make arrangements to see your doctor as a simple blood test may help pinpoint the source of your problem.
I'm taking the pill. Could this be causing the problem?
Some medications can influence excessive hair growth. These include anti-epilepsy medications and certain oral contraceptives. It's therefore very important to mention the problem to your doctor when you see him next as it could be a side affect of the pill.
Is there any treatment that will help get rid of the facial hair?
If your GP identifies an underlying medical cause for your problem, then treatment of this will probably reduce the hair growth.
If no medical cause is identified, then bleaching, waxing, depilatory creams and shaving will remove the hair but you will have regrowth. Electrolysis will produce a more permanent result but will take some time and can be painful.
Laser treatment (pictured right) can result in a dramatic hair removal but I would advise you to have treatment only at a premises where there is medical supervision. Medication can be prescribed to treat excessive hair growth but it takes time to work and hair growth will return once you stop taking the tablets.
Don't be embarrassed to seek help for this problem. Remember your doctor has seen it all before.