Skincare Treated

Hirsutism and its treatment

Hirsutism is the medical term used to describe the excessive growth of hair on the surface of the skin. It usually afflicts women and is usually linked to an unusual amount of androgens – male hormones – present in the body.

Being afflicted with excess hair growth can be extremely embarrassing but thanks to science and pharmacology, treatment of hirsutism is both advanced and effective.

Hirsutism Basics

Before deciding on what kind of treatment is effective for you, it is important that you understand the basics of the disease and various types of treatment that are available.

Excessive hair growth takes place when vellus hair, or short, soft and light hair, is converted into fully-mature terminal hair. Terminal hair is the kind that grows on androgen-dependent and testosterone-dependent areas of the body such as the scalp, chin and chest. It is coarse and thick and darker than the hair on the rest of the body.

When excess and unwanted hair grows on non-androgen-dependent areas, the term used to describe the condition is hypertrichosis.

This is the result of an imbalance of hormones in the body, where excess testosterone is produced either by the adrenal gland or the ovaries.

Identifying the cause of the excess hair growth is important to choosing the treatment of hirsutism you opt for. Hirsutism is sometimes hereditary and needs to be approached accordingly. It could also be the result of underlying abnormalities or other medical conditions.

Treatment of Hirsutism

How do you rid yourself of unwanted hair is a question millions of women ask. And the beauty and cosmetics industry has several solutions.

Treatment of hirsutism is of three kinds – self-administered, medical and physical. This includes tweezing, waxing, plucking, bleaching, shaving and the use of epilatories and depilatories.

These are popular methods of hair removal that are employed even if there is no hirsutism. Plucking the hair from its root with a pair of tweezers is quick just as is the application of hot wax and then yanking the hair off with a cloth. This is also called sugaring.

Epilators use an electrically-powered rubber roller or coiled spring that pulls the hair from the root. Just like other home remedies, it is quick and mildly painful and the effect can last up to two weeks.

Creams and Lotions

Many women prefer to use hair-removal cream, which is applied to the skin. These creams contain chemicals that dissolve the sulfur bonds that bind the hair together.

All these methods work to “remove” unwanted hair only temporarily. Hence, if the problem is severe, you might want to opt for treatment that is a little stronger.

If hirsutism is a disease of excess hair, then suppressing its growth should tackle the problem. So next in like for the treatment of hirsutism is the use of growth inhibitors, which are creams and lotions, contain chemicals that block the enzymes that stimulate hair growth.

These creams have an active ingredient called eflornithine hydrochloride that inhibits the enzyme ornithine decarboxylase which is responsible for the growth of the hair shaft from the matrix cells.

The next line of treatment of hirsutism is the use of hormone blockers. Remember, we mentioned earlier that the disease is caused by a hormonal imbalance where there is an unusually high level of testosterone in the body?

Hormone blockers fall into two categories: oral contraceptive pills and anti-androgens. These drugs contain cyproterone acetate which decreases the production of oil or sebum in the skin as well as slows the rate of hair growth.

Lasers and Electrolysis

Finally, there are two kinds of treatment that altogether remove excess hair. These treatments are expensive but are very effective.

Electrolysis involves the insertion of a very fine needle into the hair follicle. An electric current then passes through the needle and destroys the root and shaft of the hair.

And even more advanced form of treatment of hirsutism is the use of lasers that employ a high-energy, high-intensity single wavelength of light that is aimed at the dark pigment in the hair shaft and root.