What is Hirsutism?

Hirsutism is the excessive hair growth on the face, chest, stomach, back and legs on women. This hair growth occurs in locations where men tend to grow hair. Hirsutism usually appears during puberty. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, around 8 percent of adult woman suffer from hirsutism. Hirsutism can range from a light dusting of hair to extreme hairiness.

Symptoms

• Dark thick hair growing on the abdomen, breasts and upper lip is the main symptom of hirsutism. If your hirsutism is caused by high levels of male hormone, then irregular menstrual periods, acne and loss of a feminine body shape can occur. Signs of masculinity like a deepening voice, frontal balding and enlarged shoulder muscles can appear.

Causes

• Hirsutism can be caused by elevated levels of male hormones, especially androgen. Polycystic ovary syndrome, Cushing's disease, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, tumors on the ovaries and tumors on the adrenal glands create elevated male hormone levels. Some women are sensitive to the normal androgen levels and develop hirsutism. Medications like certain birth control pills, hormones and anabolic steroids cause higher male hormone levels.

Prevention

• Maintain a healthy body weight. Obesity naturally increases androgen levels. Avoid bodybuilding steroids since they work by increasing male hormones.

Diagnosis

• Clues to hirsutism causes are given by a woman's menstrual cycle. Excessive hair growth with normal regular periods point to a genetic cause to hirsutism. Excessive hair growth with irregular menstrual cycles leads the care provider to look for an underlying medical condition. Blood tests are used to help diagnose this serious medical condition. Hormone levels are measured and prolactin levels are evaluated to determine if a tumor is causing the hirsutism. A steroid suppression test rules out Cushing's disease. Glucose and cholesterol levels are checked since hirsutism is linked to diabetes and high cholesterol levels.

Treatments

• Lose excess weight to lower male hormone levels. Use birth control pills with estrogen and progestogen to decrease the production of androgen. Anti-androgen medications can suppress androgen levels to decrease hair growth. Hair removal offers an option that addresses the hair growth symptom. Plucking, tweezing and waxing are all treatments that have to be continuously kept up to be effective. More permanent hair removal treatments are available in the form of laser hair removal and electrolysis. Both types of treatments destroy the hair follicles' ability to regrow hair.