Excess Facial & Body Hair in Females (Hirsutism)

 

Woman with excess body hair usually resort to shaving, using creams or electrolysis. Excess facial and body hair can be such a problems for women that it ruins their lives and causes depression. Excess hair is called hirsutism.

Excess body hair means it is present at site where it should not be such as on the face, chin, chest, around the nipples, abdomen, thighs, lower legs, arms or back. The immediate reaction is to shave off the area and apply makeup or even go for IPL or Laser treatments. Others go for creams, bleaching or long term electrolysis treatment, which does not cure the problem and may cause permanent scarring. In some cases, the problem can affect women on deciding what she should wear. All the aforementioned is cosmetic treatment without treating the underlying cause for the problem. Irregular periods or infertility could be the presenting symptoms in some cases.

The causes for this problem are difficult to explain in detail here but for example it could be due to hormone imbalance, polycystic ovaries, ovarian cysts, excess secretion of steroids. The problem might be apparent in some families or more in some races and usually more common in dark hair races such as . Women might also notice spots (like acne) specially of the upper back, upper arms, shoulder or the face.

The aim of medical management is to treat the underlying cause. In many cases the problem could be due to hormone imbalance. We have wide experience and been treating many patients with this problem for over 20 years and achieved good success.

Obviously, before our patients start the treatment, it is important to perform some investigations to decide the underlying cause. Most of these investigations are carried out through blood tests and ultrasound scan. It is worth mentioning that the treatment does not affect the head hair. We normally do not start the treatment for patients under 18 years of age. The cost of the drugs, even on private prescription, could be far cheaper than those of other cosmetic preparations or treatments. Unless the drugs are given in the correct doses and duration, patients may not have the expected improvement. Your problem might not be as bad as you think and will be discussed with you during your medical consultation and you will be advised accordingly.

In some cases, a day care keyhole surgery might be necessary to correct the problems. In case of excess hair improvements are gradual but do not forget that we are treating the cause and may be improving the periods and future infertility. You can read further on our web site under Polycystic Ovaries below