Hirsutism is the excessive growth of female hair, generally due to hormonal causes. It affects 10% of women of reproductive age.
This unusual hair growth, often associated with acne and menstrual disorders, occurs in areas where hair is more abundant in men, such as sideburns, chin, neck and chest, the area before the pubis, on the thighs and on the back.
Causes of hirsutism
Hirsutism is usually associated with hormonal disorders that cause an increase in male sex hormones. These endocrine system changes cause fine, less-pigmented hair to darken and become coarser.
According to Dr. Ampere Calleja, from the Clinica Universidad de Navarra, this condition can appear if you suffer from polycystic ovarian syndrome, hypothyroidism, Cushing’s syndrome and disease or by taking hormonal drugs, such as the contraceptive pill. Hirsutism must be differentiated from excessive hair growth, since the latter does not appear in the so-called androgynous dependent areas nor does it respond to hormone treatments.
Treatments against hirsutism
The most common treatments for hirsutism are medications that combine estrogen and an antiandrogenic compound, to prevent excess testosterone. They usually need to be taken for a year. Women who suffer from it usually also undergo aesthetic treatments such as laser hair removal, but these methods do not solve the medical problem that causes the pathology.
As for home remedies, a study from the Turkish Suleyman Demirel University, published in the Phytotherapy Research journal, ensures that mint infusions maintain adequate levels of male hormones in women.
