Female Hirsutism Is Often A Misnomer
Although most women will sprout the odd hair out of their chin at some point, some of us are just chronically hairier than others and you can’t really call it female hirsutism. Sometimes ethnicity is the cause of that peach fuzz on your upper lip. Chances are if you have a lush mane of dark hair and beautiful brown eyes fringed with long, dark eyelashes you pay for it with side burns and an upper lip that needs a bit of work.
Female Hirsutism within range of normal
The woman in the image above has hair all over her face and body. Technically it could be called female hirsutism, but even the coarse chin hairs are completely normal and are an inheritance she shares with all her sisters. I’ve treated all the coarse hairs on her chin and some of the finer hairs that will cause her a problem in the future. Due to the time she put in with me now she will never get to the point where her mother is – spending 30 minutes a day in front of a cosmetic mirror tweezing her face and neck.
Female Hirsutism Or Just Plain Hairy?
If fine soft hair is apparent on your face as a child or a teenager then it’s just part of your genetic profile to be hairy and I wouldn’t worry about it. We’re so used to looking for a root cause to every condition on our body that I’ve seen women start taking spironolactane because they grew some arm hair as they moved through menopause. A little bit of extra hair doesn’t necessarily mean a hormone imbalance that requires daily medication. Excessive hair growth often accompanies changes in our physiology and that’s why you might notice hair growth during puberty, pregnancy and menopause (when hormone levels are fluctuating) or during periods of extreme weight gain or loss.
Generally the hair you see sprout during these periods of hormonal fluctuation is permanent. For example, if a woman is going through menopause and she develops some chin hair then the only way to permanently remove it is with electrolysis. The exception is the hair that some pregnant women grow as a result of their pregnancy. It’s generally fine and colourless and covers the face and body. This hair growth will go away once you give birth and your hormones return to normal.
Female Hirutism Can Be Aggravated By Temporary Hair Removal Methods
If you start playing around with the hairs on your face you may turn a minor problem into one that requires more resources to resolve permanently. Upper lip waxing, threading and tweezing may all stimulate new hair growth in those areas. Many women start out with one lone hair sticking out of their chin, and they pluck it. Before long they’ve got a few more, and then a few more that are creeping up on the jawline. Within a decade or two you’re looking at a full beard. If, however, you remove the hair permanently while you have just a few chin hairs you will never get to the point where it’s a full beard. You may sprout 1 or 2 hairs every couple of years that you have to treat but you will have a avoided the full beard scenario.
Normal patterns of hair growth on the body can also see a woman growing hair from below her navel up to her breast bone, or in a triangle on her lower back, or on the upper arms and shoulders. This may not be a desirable situation, but it is not uncommon, and thus, in most cases can fall under the rubric of normal.
When the growth of facial or body hair is the result of more serious imbalances in your body, there are generally other symptoms to accompany it.
Although the majority of women’s “excess” facial and body hair is the result of the normal genetic makeup of the individual, there are some instances where the hair growth is linked to genuine imbalances in the body that need medical attention.
Causes Of Female Beard Growth
Very typical example of stubble and irritation caused by female beard growth
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) as a cause of female beard growth.
PCOS is probably the most common disorder amongst women of reproductive age that contributes to excess hair growth. If you have a sudden increase in hair growth on your face or body accompanied by other issues such as an irregular menstrual cycle or sudden weight gain then it’s a good idea to see your doctor for an assessment. The hair growth that results from PCOS can, in some instances, be controlled with pharmaceuticals, however, for most women permanent hair removal such as electrolysis is the only way to get rid of it once it’s there. Female beard growth from PCOS will not go away on its own. If you want more information on PCOS, this is a good resource.
While PCOS is the most common disorder leading to excessive hair growth in women, there are other possible causes if your doctor has ruled out PCOS. Tumors or cancers of the adrenal gland or ovary, Cushing syndrome, congenital adrenal hyperplasia and even the uses of certain medications can all contribute to excessive hair growth in women. Often the symptoms are similar between the various disorders – unexplained weight gain, problems with the menses, acne and infertility are all characteristic of the above-mentioned disorders.
Most cases of female beard growth can be brought under control with permanent hair removal. Electrolysis is the only permanent method of hair removal, thus, you will not grow new hair in the follicles treated by a good electrologist. It is, however, important to understand the underlying cause of your excessive hair growth. The majority of time it is a genetic predisposition to hairiness, but in the case of PCOS or another disorder you need to understand how to manage the disease in order for you to gain control of the excess hair.
Further Reading:
https://www.follikill.com/2013/07/03/what-age-electrolysis/
AND THIS ARTICLE ON COARSE CHIN HAIR