Chin Hairs in Females

The existence of hairs sprouting from a woman's chin is something she may be loathe to discuss, even with her closest friends. Some women who have never had this problem begin spotting dark wiry whiskers that seem to sprout overnight. Other women battle a thick growth of facial hair from an early age. Dealing with this type of hair growth is often frightening and embarrassing for women.

Conditions and Causes

• The condition of excessive hair growth in women is called Hirsuitism. This term is used to cover a range of unwanted female hair growth, from a few errant chin whiskers to women who suffer from full growth of a mustache, beard, sideburns or in other areas like the chest. In most women, Hirsuitism occurs or worsens because they begin producing an elevated amount of male hormones, or androgens. All women produce some male hormones, but several factors can make production spike, such as perimenopause or menopause. In rare cases, the cause can be Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Possible Aggravates

• Many women say their growth of chin hairs becomes more rampant with age. With causes like the onset of the early stages of menopause, the growth often gets worse over the age of 35 or 40. While a natural cause like this cannot be helped, other aggravates can be addressed. If a woman's hormone imbalance and subsequent hair growth is caused by an insulin resistance, that is sometimes the result of a poor diet high in sugars and carbs. Dietary changes and exercise can help to reverse insulin resistance, allowing a woman's body to better balance her hormone creation.

Newer Hair Removal Methods

• Methods for removing unwanted hair vary in price and level of convenience. Each woman must choose the method that works for her. Two of the newest and most expensive methods are laser hair removal and electrolysis. The aim of both of these treatments is to stop the hair from growing back. With laser removal, a laser light is used to try to damage the follicle permanently. Electrolysis uses a needle to place an electric current in the follicle. These methods often get the longest-lasting results, but both have possible side effects, like scarring.

Traditional Removal Methods

• Some women cannot afford lasers or electrolysis and others have growth of just a few whiskers and want to remove them themselves. A few stiff, wiry chin whiskers can be plucked with tweezers. Watch the chin for new growth and pluck weekly, if necessary. If there are too many hairs, or plucking is too painful, shaving is perhaps the most traditional hair removal method. However, some women hate the growth of stubble that reappears soon after shaving and feel the hair grows back darker. Creams and wax remove the hair without leaving stubble. Both have been known to sometimes irritate skin and cause redness.