Common Skin Concerns: Unwanted Hair Growth

Unwanted hair growth is caused by increased male hormones (androgen). Women do produce androgen but in some cases when women start producing excess amounts, it can lead to hormonal changes such as:

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): when ovaries produce excessive amounts of androgens and is the most common cause of hirsutism.

Hirsutism: is growth of excess hair typically seen in male growth pattern, such as the face, lower abdomen, chest and sometime lower back.

Adrenal Gland Disorder: hormonal imbalance that cause excessive hair growth which is located just above your kidneys.

Menopause: during Menopause a woman’s body stops producing oestrogen but continues to produce the same amount of testosterone. This imbalance of hormones causes women to have male like facial hair.

Medications:

• Minoxidil (oral), which is used to stimulate hair growth
• Anabolic steroids, which are synthetic variations of testosterone
• Testosterone, which can be taken in case of a testosterone deficiency
• Cyclosporine, which is an immunosuppressant drug that is often used before organ transplants

Obesity: Your body changes the way it produces and processes hormones by maintaining a healthy weight, this may correct your level of androgen with the use of medication.

According to the ‘Indian Journal of Dermatology (Trusted Source)’, hirsutism affects between 5 and 10 percent of women.

It tends to run in families, so you may be more likely to have unwanted hair growth if your mother, sister or other female relative also has it.

Women from the Mediterranean, South Asian and Middle Eastern heritage are also more likely to develop the condition.