What is Hirsutism? Symptoms and Treatments

A woman with an excess of the male androgens hormone in her body might develop facial hair growth known as Hirsutism.  Some of these people might have had an aggravated form of this condition, but normally the facial and body hair that appears is much finer and lighter than male hair. Hirsutism symptoms first appear around the time of puberty in many cases.

Accurate diagnosis determines the best treatment

Doctors need to find out whether this condition occurs due to a genetic issue or it links to an individual medical problem. If a woman has a regular menstrual cycle, the chances are that the condition is inherited. If she has an irregular cycle, it raises suspicions that there could be a link with an abnormality in the ovaries. The doctor could be concerned over a possible tumor if the irregular menstruation and the signs of hirsutism are recent developments. A connection with diabetes and high cholesterol might also be worth investigating. The tests the doctor requests and proposed treatment depend on such analysis.

Problem medications

Doctors have discovered that the body’s reaction to certain medications might cause hirsutism. Typical examples of potential problem medical products include pills to treat high blood pressure, medicines prescribed for mental health problems and bodybuilding steroids. There are many more examples. If the patient needs the medicine for their physical or mental well-being, there might be no alternative. Sometimes the patient has the option to stop the medication, or perhaps change it to a form that does not have these side effects. Only make these decisions in consultation with a doctor or psychiatrist.

Plucking hairs out

Despite the availability of more modern and efficient techniques, a few people still prefer to use this simple even if it is a little painful, hair removal method. It certainly saves the cost of clinical treatments, but sometimes it causes skin irritations. It is also only practical in milder cases of hirsutism. Another point to keep in mind is that plucking is so time-consuming and fails to deliver a lasting solution. After a certain amount of time passes the hair grows back and needs plucking once more.

Shaving excess hair

Hair removal with razor blades and later electric razors is more effective than plucking by hand. However, it is easy to cut yourself accidentally while removing hair with a razor blade. Electric razors are much safer, but some say they cannot do as effective a job. Although it is much easier to remove facial and body hair with an electric razor it only provides a temporary answer. The shaved off hair soon grows back and requires shaving again. Still, shaving is far more comfortable than plucking, and after buying a shaver, there are no further costs.

Waxing

This is one of the more painful hair removal treatments. A professional beautician applies a strip of hot wax over the hair. They remove the wax once it has cooled off. The procedure is both wearisome and messy, and it can be very costly. The fact that waxing removes the hair from the root makes it an effective treatment but placing hot wax on the skin is obviously not without its risks. Now and again people suffer burns so make sure to use the services of somebody with the required expertise.

Hair removal cream

Application of a hair removal cream provides another effective if short-term answer to facial and body hair. These creams are inexpensive and leave no marks on the skin. Unlike waxing, it is easy to apply hair removal cream yourself and then after a certain time take it off with a spatula. The inconvenience of having to repeat this procedure time after time is probably the biggest drawback. Some people also have concerns that these creams might have unpleasant side effects, for example, cause an allergic reaction.

Losing weight could help

The idea that there could be a link between obesity and hirsutism probably seems strange, but medical research shows that this really is the case. While obesity cannot cause the condition, it may aggravate it. An overweight woman tends to produce more androgens, and this hormone triggers the hair growth. Excess weight causes many more serious health problems than hirsutism, but perhaps this may give the extra encouragement it takes to translate good intentions into actions.

Get an electrolysis treatment

Exposing the hair follicles to electric heat prevents hair growing. Electrolysis treatments have been available for many years. This is a tried and tested approach but patients ought to be aware that it sometimes causes a little scarring. The practitioner needs to insert a hair-thin metal needle into each hair follicle. A small electric charge passes through this needle to damage the hair growing capabilities. However, a slight miscalculation in the needle insertion could damage the skin.

Laser hair removal

One of the reasons for the increasing popularity of laser treatments is a concern over the scarring that electrolysis sometimes causes. Recent improvements in laser technology also encourage more people to use it. The laser treatment operates similarly to electrolysis except for the fact that it uses a beam of light to heat the follicles and thus prevent new hair growth. Experience shows that laser treatments work better on darker hairs. Potential patients must be aware that such therapies are still very expensive.

Taking medications

If the doctor diagnoses a link between the hirsutism and too many androgen hormones in the body, they might prescribe medications. Curiously enough, certain contraceptive medicines help alleviate excess androgen problems. Doctors might also prescribe medications with estrogen. Sometimes they recommend taking these together with contraceptive pills. It might take as much as a year to see improvements after you begin taking one of these medications regularly.