Dr. Tanwar

Though most may not admit, all women have hair on their face and body. It is often masked by home remedies or clever make up tricks or frequent visits to the beauty salon. If you see a sudden spike in coarse or dark hair, especially on your face, it can be an embarrassing social condition.  Here are some insights into the condition and what you can do to get rid of it.

Blame it on your hormones:
In most cases, you can easily blame this condition on your hormones. Male hormones called androgens are responsible for the development of certain 'manly' features like deepening of voice or production of sperm. And the one hormone behind all this is called testosterone.

But women produce testosterone too- albeit in smaller quantities. If, for some reason, this hormone's level increases in women, it leads to increased sex drive, irregular menstrual cycle and yes, excessive facial and body hair.

One of the main causes of high levels of male sex hormones in premenopausal women is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), a condition which causes cysts to grow around the edge of the ovaries (the organs which produce eggs and sex hormones).  PCOS also results in excessive hair growth, acne and weight gain.

Some women are stuck with this condition in the post menopause stage too, when the hormonal imbalance fails to rectify itself after menopause has passed.

1. Being obese (weight gain is a side effect of PCOS too, so this is a slightly tricky one)
2. Side effects from blood pressure medication
3. Hereditary condition: Blame your genes
4. Cushing's Syndrome or Acromegaly - rare hormonal disorders
5. An Ovarian tumor

Treatment
Usually, cosmetic remedies are enough to get rid of unwanted or excess hair. So you may not have to go out of your way to handle this problem unless you have a special case. Most cases can be treated with

1. Shaving: Not the most womanly thing to do, but it is quick and easy. Mind the stubble between the shaves
2. Waxing: This is a pretty much standard procedure
3. Bleaching: Can work for areas you don't want to shave
4. Hair removal creams: Try and test out to see which one suits you
5. Laser treatment: A powerful beam of single color light is used to destroy the hair from its root

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!