What Causes Excess Hair?
Hirsutism is a condition in which there is excessive growth of hair on the face or body. It can occur in both men and women without discrimination and is caused by hair follicles that are overly sensitive to male hormones (called androgens). It can also be caused by abnormally high levels of these hormones. Some medicines promote Hirsutism, such as birth control pills, hormones and anabolic steroids. Women of Mediterranean ancestry, Hispanic women and African American women tend to have more body hair than women of Native American or Japanese ancestry. The condition seems to run in families and your doctor may want to run some tests to find out what the underlying cause may be. What can you do to get rid of the excess hair? If you’re overweight, lose it. This reduces the amount of androgen hormones in your body that causes increased hair growth. Stress can also elevate your androgens significantly.
