Although it’s not visible, this is a common theme. Many women with excessive hair growth feel they have to hide; they feel self-conscious, are harassed, and spend their lives ashamed of something that isn’t a disease, isn’t contagious, and doesn’t define who they are as individuals.
Many women get tired of shaving, of being slaves to tweezers, razors, or razors, and decide to let it grow, and that’s okay too. In fact, well-known activists, like Harnaam Kaur , have used their facial hair as a banner to speak out against the aesthetic parameters that cause pain and anguish in those who don’t fit them.
Kaur is a model and, after difficult years facing depression and bullying , she is also an example of female empowerment by showing that having a beard—the one she got tired of waxing—doesn’t make her any less of a woman.
No, it is not a disease
This isn’t about the hair you have on your arms or legs. Women have hair on their faces, legs, armpits, and pubic areas. We do! And that’s okay and it’s natural. But hirsutism isn’t about having noticeable hair after a couple of months without shaving, but rather the appearance of copious amounts of thick, dark hair where women don’t usually have hair naturally: the chest, around the nipples, the chin, and the back.
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine defines it as the growth of long, coarse hair on the face, chest, arms, and legs of women following a pattern similar to that of men and is one of the symptoms of diseases associated with androgens, the male sex hormones.
However, hirsutism can also be idiopathic or familial. That is, as described in Cuídate Plus , it is caused by a greater sensitivity of the skin to androgens, or, due to a familial tendency, we may have more hair follicles than other people. This means that it is not a disease, a pathology, or a syndrome. However, as mentioned, it can be a symptom, which makes it essential to visit a specialist.
Dr. Vladimir Galavis , a gynecologist and oncologist, explains that hirsutism is a symptom that, when combined with others, can define a syndrome. “This symptom involves hard, thick hair growing in women where it shouldn’t: on the chin. It’s a sign of masculinization due to a hormonal disorder. This distinct hair is also seen in the armpits and pubic hair, which in women tends to be distributed in a triangular pattern, while in men it’s untidy and bushy, so as experts we can determine these differences.”
Galavis adds that with hirsutism, this type of hair can be seen in unusual places, such as the chest and back. If it is accompanied by other symptoms such as obesity, acne, baldness or alopecia, or an enlarged clitoris, this is due to a predominantly hormonal disorder that could even have a hereditary component, especially in tumors of the adrenal gland and adrenal hyperplasia. He also emphasizes that most cases of hirsutism are acquired and are most frequently related to polycystic ovary syndrome.
In this regard, the doctor clarifies that there is a difference between polycystic or multifuzzy ovary syndrome and polycystic ovary syndrome, defining the latter as bilateral, multicystic lesions (more than 11 or 12) that present a number of symptoms such as amenorrhea or absence of menstruation, obesity, hirsutism, and acne, among others.
“ Between 14% and 17% of women may have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The hormonal pathway between the brain, pituitary gland, adrenal glands, and ovaries can be the mechanism that produces an excess of testosterone in women, and this excess is seen in polycystic ovaries, benign and malignant tumors of the adrenal gland, and adrenal hyperplasia, which is the most common cause.”
On the other hand, hair growth also changes with menopause , which can resemble hirsutism because, according to Galavis, when estrogen and progesterone levels drop, there is a temporary androgenization. For a few years, there is more testosterone in the blood, and this can cause this unusual hair growth.
How to fix it
While we can resort to hair removal, this is a palliative solution. The doctor explains that if we want to treat the root cause, we must manipulate hormones to lower testosterone levels and, above all, follow the appropriate treatment based on the diagnosis.
It’s worth mentioning that hirsutism can also be a symptom of Cushing’s syndrome, whose symptoms also include centripetal obesity—excessive fatness in the middle and thin arms and legs—and acne. In this case, the solution is surgical.
In any case, once medical or surgical treatments are initiated, the symptoms slowly disappear.
It’s important to understand that hirsutism can be a social issue. Many women dislike having hair—or consider it unfeminine—but beyond taste and aesthetics, hirsutism can be a symptom of physical problems.
Visiting a gynecologist or endocrinologist will be the best option to confirm that everything is okay with our body, whether it’s hereditary or a symptom of a possible disorder. Loving ourselves, reconciling with our bodies, and deciding for ourselves how we want to look is a duty to ourselves as important as taking care of our health.
