Hairiness increasing or heavy head or body hair. Excessive hairiness, also known as hirsutism, is characterized by abnormal hair growth on areas of skin that are not normally hairy. Hirsutism refers to a male pattern of hair. Hirsutism is nearly always genetic in origin. Female and male relatives may also have more hair than the average so hirsutism is normal in that family. Excess hair (hirsutism) in women often appears in the places where men have body hair, such as the upper lip and chin, the chest (including around the nipples), the tops of the shoulders and the lower abdomen. Each person has about 2 million hairs and only about 100 000 of these are on the scalp. We have hairs over our entire body, except the lips, soles of the feet and palms of the hands.

Iin women 25% of normal middle-aged women have unwanted facial hair. 10% of 65-year-old women have noticeable chin hair. Women often worry that hairiness means that they have male hormones and are not fully female.The problem in these women is that the hairs are more sensitive than normal to small amounts of hormone. The hairs grow more quickly and thicker in response to it. The excessive hairiness in children and women may be caused by pituitary or adrenal glands disorders. In addition, women may develop excessive hairiness after menopause. Anabolic steroids or corticosteroids, and certain medications, also may cause excessive hairiness. Causes of hirsuitism include Cushing's syndrome, adrenal tumors, congenital adrenal hyperplasia and some ovarian tumors.

Taking certain medications may cause or contribute to hirsutism. Hirsutism can be prevented in some cases. Lose weight if you are overweight. This may greatly improve the problem. Removing the hair by shaving, plucking, waxing, depilatories, electrolysis, bleaching, or laser surgery. Bleaching makes the excessive hair less obvious. New long wavelength lasers and intense pulsed light are under investigation for the removal of body hair. Hormonal treatment using antiandrogen medicines (which counteract the male hormone) may be used for women with moderate or severe hirsutism. Certain topical medications can be used to control hirsutism such as Eflornithine hydrochloride cream slows facial hair growth. Some herbs that have been used to treat hirsutism include saw palmetto and Shakuyaku-kanzo-to.

Hairiness Treatment Tips

1. Bleaching is a good way of disguising upper lip hairs unless your skin is dark.

2. Plucking, waxing, sugaring or threading will deal with the problem temporarily.

3. Laser treatment is quicker and less painful than electrolysis.

4. Electrolysis is probably the best method of getting rid of the unwanted hair long term.

5. Certain topical medications can be used to control hirsutism such as eflornithine hydrochloride cream.

6. Hormonal treatment using antiandrogen medicines may be used for women

7. Wavelength lasers and intense pulsed light are under investigation for the removal of body hair.

8. Some herbs that have been used to treat hirsutism include saw palmetto and Shakuyaku-kanzo-to.