Hirsutism
Hirsutism is excessive hair growth in certain areas of the body. It's a problem that mainly affects women.
It's relatively common,although some women may find it embarrassing or distressing to live with.
It's often a long-term problem, but there are a number of treatments that can help keep it under control.
This page covers:
The excessive hair in hirsutismis usually thick and dark, rather than fine and fair.
It develops in areas where men often have hair, such as the:
You may also have some additional symptoms, such as oily skin, Blackheads , a deep voice, irregular periods or no periods at all .
It's a good idea to see your GP if you have hirsutism. They can look for any underlying cause and advise you about the treatments available.
Your GP may:
Depending on what your GP thinks may be causing your symptoms, they may treat you themselves or you may be referred toa specialist.
Treatment for hirsutismusually involves techniques to remove the excess hair and treatment to help slow its growth or stop it coming back.
The main treatments are:
It may take a few months to notice the effects of treatment, so it's important to persist withit. Inmany cases,treatment will need to be continued indefinitely.
Hirsutism is caused by anexcessof male hormones called androgens in your body, or byyour body being more sensitive to these hormones.
In many cases, it's not clear why this happens. Some women just seem to develop extra hair growth as they get older, particularly after the menopause .
In younger women, the most common cause is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) ,a condition that can cause irregular periods and fluid-filled sacs (cysts) on the ovaries.
Less commoncauses of hirsutism include:
Hirsutism is when a woman has excessive hair growth. Find out about the symptoms, causes and treatments.
Read about the main treatments for hirsutism, including the different hair removal methods you can try and the medicines available on prescription from your GP.