Unwanted Facial Hair in Women

"Diana turned 24 this year but as her age increases so her sorrows. She was born with thick hair growth on her temple and chin. Since her tender days in school, she became so conscious that with passing days she confined herself only to her home. Overwhelmed by embarrassment and inferior complex, she finally slipped into depression.."

Yes true, there are million women who suffer from the unwanted facial hair problem. But do you think that denying yourself from all outdoor activities is gonna help you? The answer is NO. The more you isolate yourself the more you torture yourself. Science has invented new technologies to get rid of unwanted facial hair. So CHEER UP ladies, and read this article to find out a solution to the problem of unwanted facial hair.

What Causes Unwanted Facial Hair in Women?

Also known as 'Hirsutism', it is usually found as thick growth on various portions of the face like upper lips and forehead. Excessive hair growth is also visible on the temples and on the cheeks and chin with a beard like appearance. While some females have fine and short hair growth on the upper lips and chin. The growth of hair is dependent on the body's hormonal balance. The previous symptoms are quite embarrassing and is known as terminal growth while the latter is called villus hair.

The main causes of unwanted facial hair in women are hormonal imbalances and hereditary problems. Hair growth in female is primarily controlled by the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), whose secretion is dependent on production of estrogen and testosterone. During the reproductive period, females have high estrogen that checks production of the hormone DTH but in menopause or post menopause, the level of estrogen falls and the level of testosterone increases, which results in the rise of DHT levels. High DTH in the body is the main cause of excessive facial hair.

The other cause of unwanted facial hair is the rise in the levels of the hormone androgen. Androgen is a male hormone responsible for development of secondary sex organs. When there is a sudden rise in the level of androgen, it leads to growth of facial hair. This can also happen due to hereditary reasons. Thickness of facial hair growth in women is thus controlled by the combined activity of these sex hormones.

Treatment for Unwanted Facial Hair in Women

• Threading, tweezing, plucking, shaving are few common ways to get rid of mild facial hair growth. Cold wax and depilatory creams are also available in the market to remove unwanted facial hair. These methods can be tried at home only if your hair growth is very fine.
• If your facial hair growth is thick, then electrolysis or laser treatments with Intense Pulse Light is the right choice. It is a permanent treatment, as these processes destroy the hair follicles from the roots, so new hair is no more generated.
• There are various lotions and gels available, which recede the hair growth by inhibiting the action of the hair stimulating growth hormones.
• Medicated facial lotions containing Reductase-5 can be applied regularly on face to convert the coarse growth to genuine feminine smooth growth. This lotion blocks the activity of the enzyme 5-alpha reductase which is responsible for converting testosterone to DHT.
• Topical lotions with Vaniqa is often used in treatment of women with hirsutism. This chemical also acts by inhibiting the enzymatic activity and reduces the secretion of hormones responsible for unwanted facial hair.
• Oral contraceptives are also available with anti androgens and anti testosterone production to stop growth of unwanted facial hair in women.

These treatments are extremely sensitive, and before going ahead, you MUST seek advice from a skin expert. So ladies, instead of suffering from low self-esteem, go to doctors and find out the solution to get rid of your unwanted facial hair. All the best!