Excessive Hair: Why Does It Occur? How Is It Eliminated?

The scientific term is hirsutism and can be caused by various factors. The result is excessively grown hair on various parts of the body. In this article we will reveal more details about excessive hair: why it occurs and how you can remove it.

Thick hair vs. excessive hair

In the case of some women, the hair grows more than “normal” on the legs, back, face and arms. This is not a health problem, but an aesthetic one that requires a lot of care and attention.

It is known that there is abundant hair, rich hair. But, did you know that there is also excessive hair? In this case, the hair grows on different parts of the body, such as the neck, chin, chest, legs, back, limbs, lower abdomen, etc.

This problem is also related to certain masculine characteristics, such as hair loss (balding). But here we are talking about hirsutism, a problem that affects women. It is a serious condition that prevents them from having a happy life.

Body hair

Even if women shave, use wax or other methods to remove unwanted hair, especially from the legs, groin or armpits, hair is present on a large part of the body (except on the palms, soles and mucous membranes) .

The hair has no sebaceous glands and consists of very short and thin fibrous capillaries (not more than 2 mm). The hair becomes drier when it grows in length and thickness due to the action of the androgen hormone.

Men produce more hormones and therefore have more body hair than women. But some women can produce more androgen hormone. They will have longer, thicker and darker hairs.

Another factor that determines whether a woman will suffer from hirsutism is genetic inheritance. Hair follicles react to various hormones, for example testosterone (another male hormone). The area most reactive to these hormones is the pubic area. Therefore, hair is more developed in this region, both in women and men. The same happens at the armpit, where the hair is thick and dense.

Men have longer and thicker hair in these areas: chest, back and abdomen. Women also have hair in these areas, but it is short, soft and fine, almost invisible or palpable. However, if the production of androgen hormone increases, the hair becomes thicker and often acquires a masculine appearance.

Why does the level of androgen increase in some women? This can have two causes: congenital hyperplasia of the adrenal glands (a genetic disease that affects the adrenal glands and leads to increased production of hormones, such as cortisol) or polycystic ovaries.

Hirsutism can also be caused by stress or mental tension, overweight and infertility.

Methods to remove unwanted hair

Hirsutism is no longer considered a medical problem because there are several techniques for removing hair from the body and treatments to decrease the secretion of certain hormones. In addition, this is a segment of the work of many beauticians.

However, excessive hair can lower women’s self-esteem. This can make them depressed, distrustful and not alone.

If hair begins to grow uncontrollably, excessive hair can be caused by stress. It can cause an increase in hormone secretion. There are hormones that can counteract the situation (with a prescription). If the patient does not want to follow a drug treatment for hirsutism, then she needs traditional methods of hair removal.

Waxing

This is one of the most popular methods. The wax can be applied at home (whoever wants) or at a beauty salon. Waxing hair removal has some advantages that other techniques do not offer. For example, hair grows more slowly after epilation (between 4 and 5 weeks, depending on each woman).

Over time, repeated waxing weakens the root of the hair, making it thinner and thinner. The downside is that the process can be painful, especially in areas such as the groin. Wax strips can be used to make waxing easier.

The razor

This method involves epilating with an ordinary or electric razor. These are similar to those used by men (in some stores the only difference is the color – pink for women). It is believed that by using this technique the hair will grow thicker and darker in color, but this has not been scientifically proven.

The good part is that this technique is not painful. The downside, especially for those suffering from hirsutism, is that it should be applied often, at least once a week. This method is not recommended for sensitive areas, such as the face. It is best to shave in the shower, because warm water opens your pores.

Compensating

This method of hair removal is not recommended for women with hirsutism because it is intended for occasional use to remove a few hairs.

Laser hair removal

This method can be applied in specialized clinics. It can be an ideal solution for women who face excessive hair. However, laser hair removal can be very expensive and the results are not 100% guaranteed.

Epilating creams

This is a simple and painless alternative for hair removal. However, the skin can be irritated in certain situations. Before applying this method, we recommend that you test the cream by applying a very small amount on a less sensitive area. If the area turns red, starts to burn or you have itching, remove the cream immediately and never use it again.