Facial hair in women (hirsutism): why does it come out and how to remove it?

In our culture, female facial hair does not have the best press. Except for cases like that of Frida Kahlo, Most women prefer to remove this facial hair because of the inconvenience that it sometimes involves and, why not say it, for an aesthetic issue.

Some women have very little facial hair, being almost imperceptible to the eye. However, there are other women who tend to have more hair on their face. In some cases, the amount of hair can be an aesthetic problem and have a pathological cause.

Facial hair in women has a hormonal cause. It is due to a disorder that causes uncontrolled growth of facial hair. This becomes a problem the moment it begins to affect one's safety, and when one tries to keep it under control without success.

Thick facial hair in women is uncommon, especially if it appears excessively, if it is thick and covers a large area of ​​the face. This disorder has a name: hirsutism, and today we explain what causes it and what to do to keep it under control.

• Related article: "Types of skin: what is yours and how to take care of it?"

Facial hair in women: what to do?

The abnormal growth of facial hair in a woman is called hirsutism. Although to a greater or lesser extent all women have hair in different areas of the body including the face, it is considered a disorder when it grows uncontrollably with a male pattern.

When you suffer from hirsutism, uncontrolled growth on the face has masculine characteristics, that is, a beard, mustache and sideburns, although it also usually grows on the back and chest. The good news is that there is a solution to remove facial hair in women.

Why do facial hair come out in women? Causes

High levels of androgens in the body are the cause of hirsutism. The arrival of puberty in women is accompanied by strong and far-reaching hormonal changes. These govern practically the entire transformation process that takes place in the body.

Around 12 years of age, when puberty begins, the ovaries begin to produce these types of hormones, these are female and male, although obviously female ones predominate, which are responsible for the characteristic changes of biological sex, but the presence of male hormones also plays a role relevant.

Male and female hormones

Estrogens and progesterone are female hormones that during puberty begin to take relevance, producing breast growth and the beginning of ovulation processes.

On the other hand, androgens are male hormones that also have a presence in the female body and that play a relevant role in the development of the female body. A normal process maintains a proper balance allowing a greater relevance of female hormones versus androgens.

This hormone production that occurs during puberty causes hair growth in the armpits and pubis. This is normal and expected during this process. In the case of men, the production of androgens produces the appearance of beards, mustaches and hair on the chest and back.

If, during the production of hormones in the female body, androgens begin to appear in greater quantity and exceed female hormones, produces hirsutism, giving way to facial hair to appear in the beard and mustache area, and in many cases hair on the chest and back.

This hormonal imbalance responds to many factors and although it can occur from the beginning of puberty, It is common that throughout the reproductive life there are different factors that cause the appearance of this hormonal imbalance.

Factors that alter the production of hormones

The most frequent factors that alter hormonal functions are: polycystic ovary, syndrome of cushing, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and some medications used to treat endometriosis and the depression. Although it is not uncommon for hirsutism to appear spontaneously without an apparent cause.

However, these conditions could also be a consequence of hirsutism, that is, these conditions are linked and can be cause or effect. It is common for this disorder to present painful periods, acne, seborrhea and even baldness.

Causes of hirsutism

The risk factors that could favor the uncontrolled appearance of facial hair in women are genetic inheritance, ancestry and obesity, since excess weight causes hormonal imbalances very easily and frequently, which is why it is believed what this disorder could occur as a result of significant weight gain.

Because the symptoms are so obvious, extensive or invasive studies are not necessary to determine that the appearance of facial hair in women is hirsutism. It will be enough with the observation of the doctor and analyzing the clinical history to specify the treatment to be followed.

How to remove female facial hair?

Treatment for hirsutism has two routes: internal and external. Because the cause of this disorder is hormonal, the first measure that must be considered to eliminate this condition is to treat the origin of the problem.

1. Drug treatment

For this reason, drug treatment is necessary to remove female facial hair. The specialist doctor may suggest a hormonal treatment that allows blocking the presence of androgens in the patient's body.

In this way, the other conditions that normally accompany this disorder will be considerably diminished.

2. External treatments

On the other hand, there are external alternatives to attack the problem of uncontrolled growth of facial hair in women. Topical creams can be used to inhibit or block the excessive growth of this unsightly facial hair.

An effective solution to remove facial hair is through permanent hair removal. In addition to the pharmacological hormonal treatment, removing the hair from the root is the most viable option to get rid of this problem forever. These methods are safe and must be performed by professionals in a beauty center.

Although there are several practical and inexpensive hair removal methods, what is recommended is to opt for a permanent hair removal treatment. This is mainly due to the fact that traditional hair removal methods do not destroy the root, so the hair will continue to grow and in many cases it will appear thicker and therefore more visible.

For this reason, it is necessary to resort to a definitive hair removal method. Any of these techniques are aimed at destroying the follicle where the hair is born, so that after several sessions it will have completely and permanently disappeared.

There are three most popular permanent hair removal methods: laser hair removal, electrolysis, pulsed light, and thermochemical. The choice of the type of hair removal will depend first of all on the type of skin, as well as the cost and resistance to pain. Any of these methods are effective and on average require between 6 and 8 sessions to permanently remove facial hair.

The skin of the face is usually thinner than that of the rest of the body so it is important that the method is chosen more suitable for the skin type, since these processes can cause minor burns on very skin sensitive. In a professional beauty center they will be able to guide you about which is the best alternative according to what each person requires.

Bibliographic references

• Azziz R, Carmina E, Sawaya ME. (2000). Idiopathic hirsutism. Endocr Rev.
• Hirsutism González Guerra. (s / f). Dermatology service. Jiménez Díaz Foundation (Madrid).