Hirsutism is when the woman has hair on the face, chest and belly, exaggeratedly, as it occurs in men. The hair usually begins to become easier to identify from puberty, but this condition may arise after menopause.
This situation is more common in women, but it can also affect men, although in their case it is easier to disguise, as well as being more embarrassing for women.
Signals and symptons
The signs and symptoms of excess hair in women are:
- Emergence of hairs on the side of the face, fluff, back and buttocks;
- Thick, often attached eyebrows;
- Acne, dandruff, hair loss;
- Increased clitoris, increased muscle mass, change in voice tone;
- Irregular menstruation;
- Infertility.
In addition, many women have weight gain, being considered obese and with insulin resistance.
The diagnosis should be made by the doctor when observing the areas where the excess of hair of masculine characteristics can be identified. In mild cases, the hairs are thin and appear especially on the side of the face and eyebrows, and in these cases no exams are necessary. When hairs are also seen in other areas of the body the doctor usually requests tests to evaluate testosterone, prolactin, FSH, TSH in addition to transvaginal ultrasonography.
What can cause excess hair in women
The most common causes of excessive facial hair are excess male hormones in the bloodstream and polycystic ovary syndrome, but other possible causes include thyroid disorders, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, secondary hirsutism, certain medications such as phenothiazines, danazol, metyrapone, cyclosporine, valproic acid, as well as Cushing's syndrome and tumors.
How is the treatment done?
The treatment aims to eliminate the hormonal excess, if its increase is proven. In most mild cases and when the cause can not be discovered because the results of the tests are normal, it is possible to resort to taking the contraceptive pill that helps a lot to control the situation, but one can also resort to the aesthetic treatments that eliminate the hair definitely like the case of laser hair removal, which despite not eliminating the hair once and for all, greatly reduces its appearance and growth, after about 10 sessions. Learn all about laser hair removal.
